adminFarayi Matondo Perspectives from South Africa
I had a privilege to be taught in class an amazing subject – Commerce – by well-known academic in Zimbabwe, Baba Muvodzi. I learned that the means of productions are land, labour, capital and assets (fixed or current). He passionately articulated and opened up the mindset, that everything revolved around the means of production!
Today’s means of production in Mzanzi, South Africa, the second biggest economy after Nigeria, is a typical case of imbalances, irrational portions of the “economic cake”.
Majority are still grossly affected by the inequality of opportunities in sharing and eating the ‘cake’.
The state of infrastructure, roads, highways, railway system, air network, shopping centres is extremely beautiful and of high quality.
The Editor of The Manica Post, Hatred Zenenga was forthright in his article “What a rude awakening” in The Post of 20-26 December 2013 after visiting South Africa.
The reality on the ground, Zimbos with own challenges, we are far ahead. The South Africans revered our leaders for “sharing and eating the cake” equally and quest for majority emancipation.
On February 3, Statistics SA released information that the number of South Africans living in poverty has increased since 2010 by 20 percent. In spite of our economic social challenges we are fighting against, Zimbabweans’ problems are nearly at the end of the tunnel, with light in a state of translucent amidst the new economic blueprint.
Currently the vision, Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Social-Economic Transformation, is heading towards an empowered society and a growing economy. I strongly believe and agree with Minister Patrick Chinamasa, that Zim-Asset can succeed and carry the country into the future if all stakeholders — Government, non-governmental organisations, municipalities and farmers — pull in the same direction. Furthermore, the policy change is crucial and vital to serve ordinary Zimbabweans in social services provisions, affordable houses, resuscitation of ailing industries, supporting small-scale farmers, building of infrastructure, mineral resources extraction and processing.
Abraham Maslow in 1940-50s put across Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs at the bottom and the need for self actualization at the top. The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain deficiency needs – physical needs, security, love, friendship and esteem. Shelter is of paramount importance that having sleep in a decent rooftop house with proper connected sanitation running water, flashing toilet and electricity are all basic needs.
The Mzanzi government are still at loggerheads, battling and intensifying service delivery to its majority disadvantaged communities largely of mixed races living in informal settlements. Known down here as “mikhukhu”, the zinc shacks some covered by plastic, you will find PVC portable toilets outside for communal usage. Coming closer to these combined shacks, life goes on with spazas, beer gardens, small road networks, community churches and pre-schools. I remember a shack fire broke out in Kya Sands informal settlements, Joburg North West in September 2013. The fire destroyed about 20 shacks, two lives were lost and people’s belongings were ruined. The sadness of those affected was deeply touching, hurting and shocking most to those in settlement as ‘homes’ were now just rubble left with nothing. The social effect of the informal settlements have degraded the essence of human life.
Farayi Matondo is a budding writer on current affairs, creative writing and music who was born in Sakubva and grew up in Mutare. He can be contacted on email
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