Zimbabweans...

As Zimbabweans we are fond at amplifying issues. This has led to most extent creating an exaggerated picture of the issues in Zimbabwe. The moment I jetted in Tanzania, the first person I met asked me a very provocative question. After saying Karibu (welcome), he asked how Mugabe is. Obviously I sensed that he expected me to say harsh words about him and possible utter disgust. However, to his surprise I responded, “He is fine I am sure and still going strong”. Upon hearing that, he quickly changed the topic and started asking me about my general view of the issues in Africa.

Surprisingly I have been asked this same question by most people in East Africa the moment I mention that I am from Zimbabwe. At one point I asked one Kenyan that do you know where Zimbabwe is geographically located. To my surprise he seemed clueless of the country. Yet they believe that Zimbabwe is Mugabe. Zimbabwe is beyond Mugabe and that is a fact that should be clearly appreciated. I believe that there are a lot of issues that we can share particularly about Zimbabwe that should not be centred on the president.

Perhaps Zimbabweans across board have contributed to this misconception. This is so because we have been complaining too much about issues in Zimbabwe and ended up creating this conception that the greatest stumbling block to our potential is an individual. Also, some actors have criticised so much an individual and failed to give pointers to the system.