Online Reporter
Stephen Mpofu, Perspective
IN the beginning, the rural areas — dismissively referred to as “the sticks” by the oppressive colonial regime — hosted the armed revolution led by gallant sons and daughters of the soil. Their sacrifices ushered in the dawn of freedom from colonialism and racial oppression in our motherland in 1980.
45 years later, our incumbent revolutionary Government is preparing to launch an intellectual revolution in these same rural areas. This initiative is part of its development mantra: “leaving no place and no one behind.” The Ministry of Skills Audit and Development’s Deputy Director for Communication and Advocacy, Mayor Justin Mahlahla, announced the programme on a local radio station a few days ago.
He revealed that Mashonaland East, Manicaland, and Masvingo Provinces would spearhead the rollout, with the aim of equalising development across Zimbabwe’s ten provinces before expanding nationwide.
Since Independence, urban and peri-urban areas have experienced greater development, prompting many villagers to migrate in search of better opportunities. The Government’s guiding principle —
“Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo /A country is built by its owners” — underscores its commitment to inclusive development, ensuring that no community or individual is left behind.
In the countryside, where the majority of Zimbabweans reside, there are many semi-skilled individuals, including school leavers, who require support to refine their abilities and contribute meaningfully to national development. The intellectual revolution aims to connect these individuals with financiers and experts across various fields, equipping them with the necessary skills to empower rural communities and enhance their role in building the nation.
For decades, semi-skilled and unskilled individuals have left their rural homes in pursuit of greener pastures in urban centres. However, many have found limited opportunities, and some have even ventured into the diaspora, where they were often exploited as cheap labour or subjected to harsh working conditions with little choice or recourse.
The intellectual revolution offers a promising future for Zimbabwe’s development — provided that both experts and the unemployed rural populace embrace it with enthusiasm. A nation that leaves its rural areas and people behind risks political instability, often fuelled by those seeking power at any cost and aided by external adversaries. Such instability threatens to undermine the hard-won gains of Independence and inflict suffering on the masses.
It is the humble opinion of this communicologist that for the skills revolution to succeed and for rural development to be more effective, road infrastructure across all ten provinces must be improved. At present, many rural roads are in a dire state, making it difficult for villagers — some using ox-drawn carts or sledges — to transport goods between villages, business centres, and their cropping fields.
Bongani Moyo