What to expect this year

 

only look after our interests, but to embody our values as citizens.
In many respects, there has been too much emphasis on our interests. These interests may be economic and joining the rat race to improve our standing in society without looking at the other side of life that would make us proud as a nation.

Some may refer to this syndrome as anarchy or “I cannot careless attitude.” If this attitude is allowed to manifest in our young people, then, the moral fabric of society is destroyed before our eyes.

Others call it “the get rich quickly” no matter the methods used. Whether the methods used are underhand or through corruption, it is the same thing that society has turned a blind eye.

This is what social scientists call the lack of values in society. It has been said in many forums that society must not turn a blind eye on the values of education for all Zimbabweans. Society must not turn a blind eye to the values of providing decent accommodation and food for families.

In this respect, what I saw in Chitungwiza recently was disheartening. The town council had to write-off half the debts it is owed to encourage residents to pay rates and water bills. Oh yes, queues formed as residents flocked to council offices to pay half the amounts they owed.

One may ask: Where will the council find the money to bridge the gap of their budget if only half the amounts are paid? What about those who paid all their bills and do not owe council anything? Will they be compensated by paying lesser amounts in the future? If anyone wants any proof of what goes wrong in society, Chitungwiza council has laid bare for all to see.

Many people may attribute this to the political party that won the elections in that town. It is not correct to even think that the problem can be isolated to any particular area. This problem of non-payment of bills in Zimbabwe is everywhere in our society.

It is not confined to the payment of rates and water bills, but also the non-payment of electricity bills.

Being independent and running our own country has many obligations on all of us. It costs money to run an institution and services rendered must be paid for.

It is not enough to only wait for elections to change the guard every five years, but also that the voters must exercise responsibility in managing the institutions from which we derive that independence and freedom.

Heartrending stories of lack of basics in schools and hospitals are told, but we fail to understand that these services are what define our values not the politics that may dwell on self interest of the leaders and their immediate hangers on.

The politics of hate are pronounced at every opportunity not the values that bind us as a nation. For the past three years, the country has been trying to come up with a new constitution to replace the one thrust on us at Lancaster House in 1979.

The main reason why there has not been an agreement to the new constitution between the political parties is a reflection on our society which has failed to develop values to guide the nation.

It is amazing that Britain operates without a constitution, but uses its traditional values. We may not agree with them. Now, as a nation, we should establish our set of values first before we can write our own constitution.

What do we believe in as a society? I have always wondered why a person who sets up a bank with US$2 million of his money and invites depositors until the bank has US$200 million assets calls it his bank not our bank.

The same thing applies to politicians. They may call their political parties their “own” despite the fact that the party belongs to all members who subscribe to its policies.

All parties must subject themselves to the values of the nation at large not to the interests of its members.

It has been known that the core membership of the party does not make the majority of the electorate. Therefore, the greater part of the electorate is only persuaded to vote for a particular party if that party advances the values the majority of the voters regard as sacrosanct to their lives.

What are these values?
There are, to mention just a few, the right to live a fruitful life, right to education, right to a decent accommodation, right to health and right to justice.

At the village level, although these values are not documented, everybody understands that the people in that community have to abide and promote the universal values. Every family takes responsibility to enforce these values. The problem has risen with the advent of towns and cities and political parties that promote interests instead of values for them to be elected.

They appeal, in most cases, to the human interest. Not to be out done, organised bodies also appeal to their own interests not what binds society.

For example, the numerous churches, trade unions, employer organisations and many others, appeal to serve the interests of their members.

The fact that the community at large has values to maintain takes a secondary role. This is what has divided our society. The appeals for unity will fall on deaf ears. It is not too late to champion the values that we hold dear in our society in the year 2013.