Zimbabwe: The storm is over and if bees can do it so can we.

With MDC finally agreeing to form a coalition government with Zanu PF, I want to believe that the storm is over now in Zimbabwe and in my optimistic mind I can actually see the sunshine in the horizon and an atmosphere of tranquility that usually follows a violent storm. Those who love nature and take note of it will know what I am talking about, the tension that was building up in Zimbabwe and almost reaching breaking point has been eliminated and in its place there is a serene atmosphere pregnant with hope and optimistic expectations that feels like sunshine after a violent storm. In the low-density area where I lIve there is no open jubilation because in September last year when the GNU agreement was signed some people openly celebrated only to have their hopes dashed a few days later, so now people are cautious about celebrating too soon and prefer to have a wait and see attitude. Personally I have chosen to accept this new development in Zimbabwe with an optimistic mind, I know just how the suffering of the ordinary people in Zimbabwe had reached unprecedented levels and I know how the ordinary people were now in desperate need of a solution to end their plight and I want to believe that the three GNU leaders will work together to rebuild the nation they had destroyed so that ordinary Zimbabweans can once again lead a comfortable life. For some of my fellow bloggers to now dwell on pointing out how they think this union is a mistake and predict doom or dwell on how Tsvangirai has been outwitted by Mugabe is rather inappropriate if they have the country's best interests at heart. What Zimbabweans need to do now is support the three leaders in their efforts to rebuild the country and talking negatively about the union will not influence the good team dynamics desperately needed by the two political rivals for the union to be fruitful. Each and every Zimbabwean has to do his/her part, working diligently to restore the country to good health. I remember writing an article on this blog back in 2007, (on the 23rd of October 2007 to be precise) about how Zimbabweans need to work together like bees to rebuild the nation, what I said in that article is very much appropriate for this moment in the history of Zimbabwe. The article was entitled, " If bees can do it why can't we," and in case you don't get time to search through the archives on my blog I have pasted it below.

So there I was sitting on the bench in the garden admiring God’s great art when along came a number of bees buzzing and en-route to collect nectar on the roses. As I watched the honeybees a thought came to me about how our country would become a developed nation if we worked together in harmony like bees, each one of us doing our part excellently in rebuilding the nation.

The honeybee has one of the most highly developed social structures in the animal kingdom. At the heart of the hive, which may house as many as 80 000 bees is the queen but these 80 000 bees don’t just sit around watching their queen. Each bee has a specialized duty to fulfill. The forager bees encounter the perils of the outside world to collect food. The water collector bees bring in moisture to regulate humidity in the hive. The plasterer bees make a kind of cement to repair the hive. The fanner bees station themselves at the entrance of the hive and fan the scent of the hive outward to signal the location of the colony to lost or disoriented bees. The scout bees keep the hive alerted to opportunities and dangers of the outside world. The variety and specialization of the worker bees seem endless and they all work towards one objective of maintaining the social soundness of their bee kingdom.

So as I looked at the forager bees collecting nectar from the roses I couldn’t help but wish we Zimbabweans could all work harmoniously together, doing our different parts in rebuilding our nation. I imagined a scenario where there are registered Bureau de Changes in the country whose rates will be competitive with no black market rates to talk of thus making it possible for foreign currency from our Diaspora relatives and from tourists and cross border traders to eventually find itself in the RBZ coffers. I then imagined industrialists being able to get foreign currency to buy some raw materials and working industriously to produce all the goods needed in the country. I then imagined the wholesalers buying the goods from the producers at reasonable prices and selling them to retailers after factoring in a reasonable profit margin and the retailers selling the goods to customers at get rich slowly prices that don’t cause inflation to keep rising. The result being a sound economy in our country. I also imagined all the workers in all the different industries in the country doing their work excellently without corruption resulting in excellent institutions and infrastructures in the country.

This is not an unreachable day dream. The Japanese are the technological superpower that they are because of their ability to work together like bees towards the development of their country. The Chinese are hard workers who are always as busy as bees, working diligently for the development of their country and as a result they have become a powerhouse to reckon with. The Germans had a high rate of inflation like ours long back but through innovation and a development friendly attitude by the German citizens they managed to rise up and rebuild their economy. There was a time when Ireland’s economy had become so bad that it suffered a brain drain larger than the one we are suffering now but through working like bees with a mindset inclined towards sustainable development, Ireland now has a very sound economy. Right next to our borders is Zambia whose weak Kwacha currency we used to make jokes about but just visit the country now and notice how much foreign currency is exchanged legally in the many registered Bureau de Changes in the country and also notice how strong the Kwacha has become as compared to the Zimbabwean dollar. This is a result of all stakeholders in Zambia working in harmony towards the same goal of the improvement of the economy.

If all these other countries managed to do it, so can we. If bees can do it so can we. The state of our economy is not because we failed in economics it is because not all of us has the soundness of our economy at heart. If only we would all do our part in rebuilding the nation, working like bees to do so, in no time this economic meltdown will be history. We shouldn’t kill our economy because of politics. Let us aim at leaving a legacy of a healthy economy for our grandchildren and future generations unborn to time, if not our children.

So my message to Zimbabweans as they look at the horizon with a gleam of hope is that Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara can only be able to rebuild this nation of Zimbabwe if and only if each and everyone of us contribute in the positive ways we know how, just like bees. Let us all be the change that we want to see in Zimbabwe. To Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Mutambara I say to you even though I never supported any of your parties and I dream of Makoni ruling this nation I will support all of you in your efforts to rebuild our beloved Zimbabwe but take note that supporting you doesn't mean that I will not point out your mistakes as you try to rebuild the country. I will continue to be an objective and analytical voice writing my opinions about the goings on in this country on this blog, I will continue to exercise my freedom of expression.