The Illusion of Education: A Critical Look at Zimbabwe's Political Landscape*
*By TICHAONA MUPASIRI*
In a recent conversation on the platform "Rebuilding Zimbabwe," political analysts Tendai Mazenge and Wilbert Mukori laid bare a stark reality about the state of education and political engagement in Zimbabwe. Their incisive commentary invites us to reflect on a deeply troubling paradox: how can a nation with a reported 90% literacy rate be mired in poor governance and political turmoil?
Mazenge argues that the foundational flaw in Zimbabwe's education system lies in its inability to foster independent thinking among its populace. He asserts that Zimbabweans have been educated to memorize and regurgitate information for exams, rather than to critically analyze and engage with the world around them. This raises an essential question: what value does a high literacy rate hold if it does not translate into informed civic engagement? Mazenge provocatively characterizes the leaders, including Robert Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa, as “daft, dull and uneducated,” suggesting that their academic qualifications are rendered meaningless when devoid of practical application and critical thinking.
Mukori echoes Mazenge's sentiments, lamenting the political naïveté that has persisted in Zimbabwe for over four decades. He points to the staggering reality that millions remain complicit in a political system characterized by rigged elections and authoritarian rule, driven by misplaced trust in opposition figures like Nelson Chamisa. The notion that educated individuals are falling prey to "idiotic lies" underscores a disheartening truth: literacy alone does not guarantee political acumen or the capacity to challenge oppressive regimes.
Both analysts highlight a crucial historical context: Zimbabwe's independence was not the result of military victory but rather a negotiated settlement. This fact complicates the narrative of heroism often celebrated in the country's war veterans, many of whom did not directly contribute to the liberation struggle. The implications are profound; if the architects of Zimbabwe's independence lacked a genuine mandate from the people, how can their successors claim legitimacy?
The conversation pivots on the assertion that Zimbabwe's leadership has prioritized power retention over meaningful governance. Mazenge's critique of Mugabe's multiple degrees as "useless" in the context of nation-building speaks to a broader issue: the disconnect between academic qualifications and effective leadership. This raises an urgent need for a re-evaluation of what constitutes education and success in governance. Are we content to allow those with formal qualifications but lacking in critical thinking to guide our nation?
As Zimbabwe grapples with economic instability, rampant corruption and social unrest, it is imperative that citizens demand more from their education and political systems. A literate populace must evolve into an informed and engaged citizenry, capable of scrutinizing their leaders and holding them accountable. The path forward requires not just education in a traditional sense, but a revolutionary approach to critical thinking that empowers individuals to question, analyze and act.
It is without doubt that the insights shared by Mazenge and Mukori serve as a clarion call for Zimbabweans to transcend the limitations of their educational experiences. If the nation is to break free from the cycle of oppression and misgovernance, it must cultivate a culture of critical thinking that empowers every citizen to participate meaningfully in shaping their future. The time for complacency has passed; it is time for Zimbabweans to reclaim their agency and demand a system that values informed dissent over blind loyalty.
_an extract from the conversation:_
Tendai Mazenge: *"Our greatest mistake was getting education that never taught us to think for ourselves but to study to pass exams. Zimbabweans are not educated, they have been to school only. Surely how can a nation with 90% literacy rate be ruled by daft, dull and uneducated people whose qualifications are just war participants. We have war veterans who did not even win the war. Zimbabwe's independence was a negotiated settlement. Zanu or ZAPU never win the war but had a dialogue with Ian Smith at Lancaster House in the UK. Mugabe was just a teacher with over 5 useless degrees. He never studied Economics, Engineering and Finance. He lacked critical thinking in developing a nation. He only studied politics and mastered the art of oppressing people and wanting Zimbabwe to be a one party state. Whatever Mugabe or Mnangagwa is doing, nothing makes economic sense but power retention at all costs."*
Wilbert Mukori: *"I agree with you 100%; Zimbabweans are literate in that they can read and write but are otherwise incapable of rational thinking. After 44 years of rigged elections, it is shocking that millions of Zimbabweans should be so easily conned into participating in flawed elections to perpetuate the dictatorship and our own suffering because they believed Chamisa’s idiotic lies. How can anyone be so foolish much less millions!"*
For more, contact Tichaona Mupasiri via email: tichaona.mupasiri@gmail.com or WhatsApp +263732231900.
Thank you. One of the hallmarks of rational thinking is the acceptance that none of us know everything there is to know any admission at the heart of the willingness to learn from the past, to embrace democratic accountability and the rule of law.
Albert Einstein said insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. We have participated in flawed elections for 44 years and counting expecting to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. 44 years, even Einstein would have never expected anyone to be that insane much less a whole nation!
20 comments:
@ Tenday
Chiefs, I and you would all say we deserve the car, if asked. Public funds must be used for the greater good of the public and NOT for the benefit of the few individuals. Mnangagwa is bribing the chiefs with the cars so that they continue to do his dirty work of corralling rural folk to vote for him. Only an idiot would say the Chiefs deserve the cars, payment for abusing their position and the people.
@ Cornwell Mutetwa
“Albert Einstein was a scientist. Trying to use what he said in your voodoo analysis which you call political analysis is outside this world. Respect that man and if you want to understand him help your child with his/her JC science.”
This is rich coming from the village idiot who does not know what constitutes free, fair and credible elections. So you think insanity only apply is you repeat the same thing over and over again in Science and not in other fields like participating in flawed elections for 44 years expecting the opposition to win big!
Man is supposed to be a creature of reason but clearly not all humans have the intellect to think and reason. You, Mutetwa, have lost that ability. Your brain has ossified into fat and this could not have happened in one generation; evolution (regression in your case) is a slow process. And so I do not blame you for being a village idiot - it is in your DNA!
No wonder Zimbabwe is a failed state, we have too many brain dead village idiots. We should be talking about other things and yet here we are, after 44 years of rigged elections, we still have millions keen as mustard to participate in rigged election convinced they can win RIGGED elections!
“Voodoo analysis!” Yes oh wise one and Zimbabwe is on course to be an upper middle income nation by 2030 and the ZiG will be the strongest currency in the whole world!
@ Tenday
This debate is way above your intellectual capacity, you only see the Chief and cannot see the bigger picture, the nation. I am not going to laugh at you for being intellectually shortsighted, for being a village idiot; it is not your fault your brain has ossified into fat!
@ Orthov
"We have zero respect for our traditional institutions, yet we expect outsiders to respect us 🤔"
You want me to respect the Chiefs for corralling the rural voters to vote for Zanu PF, denying them their fundamental right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country, for a twin-cab reward? Fcuk me! Why is it that so many Zimbabweans have mud, M U D mud, and not brain in their heads!
@ Fanuel Chirombo
“Smart @Wilbert Mukori , have you ever thought that probably the democratic election system may not be suitable for Africa? I predict that armed with your western indoctrination, you are going to declare me insane if not another village idiot.”
You can tell where the lion has been from the paw print and same is true with a mouse. It is not for me to judge you a village idiot or King Solomon incarnate; what you say, your paw print, says it all.
So what makes you say “the democratic election system may not be suitable for Africa”? Was Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections democratic elections?
Even Nelson Chamisa acknowledge the 2023 elections were NOT going to be free, fair and credible hence his idiotic lie that he had plugged the vote rigging loop holes just to con his brain dead followers, village idiots, to participate.
Only a village idiot would have believed the lie because the country did not have even something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. SADC and AU election observers dismissed the 2023 elections as a farce!
Now let’s come back to you. Why would you say democratic elections are not suitable for Zimbabwe when we have never ever had democratic elections! Let’s just say anyone with an IQ above that of a village idiot much less one masquerading as King Solomon would never ever say such a foolish thing!
@ D
And that proves that Zimbabwe is NOT a failed state. QED! I am really impressed, very impressed! What is your full name? You deserve to be declared a national hero.
@ Fanuel Chirombo
I do know who Tenday is from his paw print on this page - just another village idiot!
@ Tenday
Now you know who Wilbert Mukori is - the man who does not take an bulls***t from any one. Now we have been fully introduced, we will get on very well!
@ Tenday
“You are very energetic. Well done. Now we just need to focus you on talking sense.”
So you think saying that chiefs must stop corralling rural folk to vote for Zanu PF, denying millions of our people their fundamental right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country, for the twin-cab truck reward is NOT “talking sense”? Let me talk you here and now - that is bulls***t!
@ OrthoV
“How can your acquired institutions be strong, when your traditional are weak. You sound like one who places the value of a white wedding above kuroora."
No wonder Zimbabwe is a failed state, we really have some brain dead poplin our midst. You are defending Mnangagwa squandering billions of dollars bribing public officials like Chiefs so that can do his dirty work of corralling povo to vote for him whilst the country’s health care and education services collapse. You defend such blatant abuse of public funds and tyrannical oppression in the name of strong institutions and tradition!
Well, well!
I have heard of the Sabbath being made for man but this insanity is taking everything to a new nauseating height. The whole nation is now being sacrificed for the glory of Mnangagwa!
@ Tenday
The fact of the matter is that Chiefs are getting these cars to reward them for corralling rural folk to vote for Zanu PF. Teachers and nurses who are performing a useful service to the nation are being paid slave wages. How can that ever be justified by anyone beggars belief!
@ Moyo Musande
There is no denying that the white colonialists corrupted our traditional leaders. Chief Rekayi Tangwena was one of the very few Chiefs who refused to be corrupted and remained faithful to value that a Chief is there to serve the people. After independence Zanu PF took over from the whites, pampering the chiefs and turning them into Zanu PF political commissars in all but name!
It is a sick joke that we now have chiefs riding roughshod over the very people they are supposed to represent for the sake of twin-cab trucks without some village idiots coming out with guns blazing in defence of the tyrannical oppression. The village idiots do not even have the common sense to admit the system is not working just because they have never ever empathised with the rural people. To Zanu PF, the party proxies like chiefs and these village idiots, rural povo are not really human beings and so their suffering and denial of basic human rights is water off the duck’s back!
@ OrthoV
Are the chiefs “validating democratic institutions” by frogmarching povo to attend Zanu PF rallies and voting for the regime for the sake of the twin-cab bribes?
@ Tenday
"I foe one don't question madzishe who represent hunhu hwedu. Maybe yo want democratically elected chiefs too?😄😰"
I warned you that I do not take bulls***t from anyone! Are you telling me that chiefs corralling povo to vote for Zanu PF for the sake of the twin-cab truck bribes "represent hunhu hwedu"? Only a village idiot would say such nonsense!
@ OrthoV
"It may be counter intuitive to saMukori, but increasing the power of Chiefs greatly enhances and stabilizes your democratic institutions. Not the other way round. Chiefs should actually have final say on whether one can occupy #1 office and on all ministerial appointments."
The chiefs are "greatly enhancing and stabilising our democratic institutions" by frogmarching povo to vote for Zanu PF for twin-cab truck reward! The tragedy here is that this is happening on the ground and the village idiot is not just saying it, he/she believes it!
@ Tenday
So demanding that povo must have a meaningful say in the governance of the country is “Liverpool vibes”! You are really full of bulls***t!
@ Moyo Musande
Over 30 000 people died in the liberation war only to be denied the vote. Mnangagwa himself boasted of how voting will be conducted by Zanu PF chairman in front, villagers behind him and the village head bring up the rear. And we have village idiots here defending the system in the name of tradition.
The tragedy for Zimbabwe is that these village idiots are not the minority but the majority hence the reason why Zimbabwe is a failed state and, worst of all, stuck! It is the village idiots who are electing these corrupt and incompetent buffoons, on both sides of the political divide, into power and keeping them there.
Chamisa conned his followers to participated in rigged 2023 elections to give Zanu PF legitimacy on the basis of an idiotic lie that he plugged all the vote rigging loop holes. We know the chiefs were frogmarching voters, for example. He is gearing to con his brain dead followers yet again to participate in the flawed 2028 elections. The nightmare is far from over!
@ OrthoV
"If your politicians do not behave or do as expected, who in your mind, are they actually accountable to?"
Are the chiefs not doing the politicians’ dirty work by frog marching povo to vote for Zanu PF for the sake of the twin-cab reward? Or are you so wrap up in your praise of the chiefs you do not realise what in going on!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVObas9hQYg
Zimbabwe is a failed state and the primary reasons for it is are the double edged sword of the failure to hold free, fair and credible elections for 44 years and the repeated participation in flawed elections even when it was clear that doing so would only give vote rigging Zanu PF legitimacy.
It is clear that there is viable plan to get any meaningful reforms implemented before 2028 elections. Zanu PF thugs will never reform themselves out of office and Chamisa and company will participate in the flawed elections for the same reason as in the past - greed.
The only viable plan is making sure SADC does not grant Zanu PF political legitimacy by making Chamisa supporters do not participate in the flawed elections in their millions as before. This is easier said than done given these supporters are brain dead, last time they believed Chamisa's idiotic lie that he plugged all vote rigging loop holes. He is set to do this again.
@ Mupasiri
“In a nation where hyperinflation and economic instability have become the norm, the introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold currency (ZIG) has sparked a mixture of hope and skepticism among Zimbabweans. As we delve into the history of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe since 1980, we see a tumultuous journey marked by various regimes, governors and their legacies that have shaped the current economic landscape. The ZIG promises a new dawn, but the realities on the ground paint a more complicated picture.
Since its independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has oscillated between periods of economic growth and severe decline. The early years under Prime Minister Robert Mugabe were characterized by optimism, yet the seeds of economic mismanagement were sown, culminating in the catastrophic hyperinflation of the late 2000s. The Reserve Bank, under various governors, has been a focal point of this crisis. Gideon Gono, who served from 2003 to 2013, is largely remembered for his controversial policies—printing money to finance government spending which led to inflation rates reaching an unfathomable 89.7 sextillion percent in November 2008.”
The truth is Zimbabwe’s economy has been in decline ever since Zanu PF took office in 1980. In an interview with Trevor Ncube, Dr Simba Makoni, one of the ministers in Mugabe’s cabinet, revealed how within weeks Mugabe surprised his ministers giving them the E-Class Mercedes Benz limos to replace the Peugeot 406s Ian Smith’s ministers had used. This marked the start of the spending spree which has become the hallmark of successive regimes ever since.
During the GNU Mugabe bribed Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends with the trappings of high office including the E-Class Mercedes Benz, very generous salaries and allowances, a US$4 m mansion for Tsvangirai, etc., etc. In return, MDC leaders kicked reforms out of the window!
Last year Mnangagwa must have spend a staggering US$ 5b in bribes alone from the chicken and chip for the hired povo crowd attending his rallies, to cars for chiefs and church leaders scaling up to MPs, judges and ministers who got US$40k, 400k and 500k housing loans respectively.
Zimbabwe’s economic collapse and the local currency losing its value were as inevitable as the sun rising tomorrow. The regime has tried all manner of dirty tricks to create the illusion that the ZiG was stable, “it is backed by gold” the regime insisted. All these in the know, knew this was imaginary gold; real gold was being smuggled out of the country to bankroll Mnangagwa’s spending spree!
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