Failed regime is exposed by its own state-controlled media!

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By Tendai Ruben Mbofana

We all have one major “weakness” – if I can label it as such.

Every human being has an element of self-centeredness – which compels us not only to put our own interests ahead of everyone else, but also a desire to parade ourselves, and flaunting what we believe are our best attributes that we would want the world to envy or admire about us.Let’s face it – we all have that about us.

Is that not why we walked around the neighborhood still proudly donning our university graduation mortarboards and gowns – hours, or even a day or so, after the actual graduation ceremony – since, in our day, we did not have social media to post our glamorous pictures and videos!

The fact that we saw it fit to display that particular “achievement”, showed that was the best (about ourselves) we had to offer at the time.

Similarly, those who feel it worthy to always post images of what they regard as their “gorgeous and sexy” bodies on social media – means that their bodies are the best thing they have to offer about themselves.

The ones with wealth – as the most impressive thing going on in their lives – will, inevitably, self-satisfactorily exhibit their latest posh cars, lavish mansions, and all manner of opulent possessions.

We even have those who sincerely believe spewing profanities and vulgarities is their trade mark, which needs to be valued and boasts about!

That is human nature – to be expected from human beings.

Therefore, our government can not be expected to be any different from the rest of us – thereby, taking full advantage of their tight grip of state media in advertising what they consider to be their “best achievements”, for all of its citizens to, hopefully, admire and praise those in authority.

As with all the earlier examples – it is so easy to ascertain someone’s values, and the best they have to offer, by what they flaunt to the world.

As such, what is our Zimbabwe government proud of – what is their best that they have to offer?

Our state-controlled media has all the answers.

We have a ruling establishment that genuinely believes that rehabilitating a couple of roads is a major achievement – that deserves a pride of place in state media, usually occupying the top story “honour”.

Seriously!

In our youth – during the 1980s – the only time we were told about any major road construction on television was during the AA (Automobile Association) “Road Report” – which sought to warn motorists about possible road closures, detours, and other inconveniences.

Why these road constructions were not such a big deal (and, did not make news headlines) was because the country was truly on a developmental trajectory – as such, there were bigger and better issues to talk about than roads.

There were major skyscrapers going up in every town and city, schools built in nearly every low and high density suburb, numerous companies were either setting up shop, or expanding in Zimbabwe (thereby, creating thousands more well-paying jobs, and introducing new innovative products on both the local and international market), as well as a citizenry that generally had more than enough to eat, whilst living in relative comfort.

We had regular water and electricity supplies in our homes, refuse was regularly and efficiently collected, and street lights adorning our towns and cities every night.

In the midst of all this “prosperity” – why would the government bother making road construction (not even mere rehabilitation) a headline news story?

Why would an entire head of state even make that a major topic at nearly every gathering?

Yet today, that is the norm, rather than the exception.

We now have a nation whose headline news features a poverty-striken population receiving agricultural inputs every season – propagated as “coming from our listening president”, yet having been bought through our own taxes.

We have a hungry and starving citizenry that has to be given food handouts (and other daily necessities) – heralded as signs of a “caring leadership”.

We witness boreholes being commissioned in our urban areas – as some residents not having had a single drop of tap water in their homes for over a decade – yet, these boreholes are packaged as some sort of “development”.

We have unemployed youth resorting to operating flea markets, artisanal mining, and basically scrounging for a living – being touted as “empowerment programs”.

The opening up of even a single company in the country is now a major news story – to be celebrated, and made a huge deal over – and, even graced by the highest office in the land.

Our state-media says it all!

It tells the true Zimbabwean story – the best the country has to offer!

A story of a once prosperous country, having been reduced into a shameful basket-case – in which, a formerly proud people has been cruelly stripped of all their dignity and self-worth.

–Zimbabwean

@ Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and social commentator. Please feel free to contact him on WhatsApp/Call: +263715667700 / +263782283975, or Calls Only: +263788897936 / +263733399640, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com