Written by Fred Farai Nyakudanga FFF
Better I Do It Myself Syndrome
I have questions, is culture what is intended? Let us say we find out its important everyone must save money for the future, but none is saving. Is culture what is expected? A school is getting low marks but parents look forward to good results. Can we say the school has a passing culture because we expect good results. I find it unusual also to assign how my ancestors lived as my culture though it influences my characteristics and knowledge there are limitations. Even if I want to, where would I practice hunting land is now owned we just have a few acres of reserved land where there are plenty mice. It's mischievous too to identify my culture on artefacts and symbols only without telling the whole story.
Zana K Ncube defined Culture as follows
“Culture is a collective term for the set of habits, behavior,ideas and artistic expressions that a group of people exhibit. Culture has a physical and metaphysical manifestation, it can be encapsulated in tangible things like art or intangible things like laws and beliefs. Culture is by nature dynamic because ideas and systems are constantly being interpreted differently by every individual and generation. Albeit slow, this change always maintains it's cohesive force bringing people together. This dynamism continues to extend beyond barriers of race,tribe,age, class or geographic placement.”
Our individual characteristics collect into a singular dominant action as defined by Zana K Ncube above. There are habits we exhibit together though we were all born with distinct abilities that also complement each of our economics. Producing different products is diversity but the act of producing and probably trading becomes an economic habit. Though respectively each and every one of us is separately gifted it is also the same we are limited to several other talents making us need one another to complete an economic culture.
The act I am finding ruinous to our development in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole is the egotism of failing to regard the community of abilities within our society. Maxwell Chikumbutso ended up with an American citizenship for all his inventions which our government and society failed to support. Maxwell’s green power generator could have been a big solution to our country but because we do not have a sound economic culture we let him go. Maxwell's inventions are regarded American now, it needs foreign currency to acquire now. There are many other youngsters who came up with inventions but they were bought out by powerful men who in the end fail to advance because of lack of skill.
The authorities, the society has not gathered up to compound their strength. All I observe is the zest for products invented and patented in Developed countries. The skills a man exhibits another wishes to pursue because of the tell-tale benefits that will enable him to buy foreign products. Our economic culture will remain incomplete, if other members of our society are left unemployed and dependent on the few opportunists. The opportunities end up requiring authoritative influence to grab posing grounds for conflict. This is becoming so prevalent among many of our African Countries. But when people talk about our culture we are shown the beautiful rock paintings, ancient African robes and musical instruments that our young generation shun after all.
There was a major change that was brought about by settlers and colonialism. The mechanisms of production changed, the tools of trade improved. Our ancestors used to own the means and the benefits of their inventions and sweat. But then force was applied to our ancestors to abandon everything they were doing replacing the economic order. You work so hard and remain poor and unhappy because you are expected to work for established organisation that harvest the profits of your labour back to their countries if origin. So the economic practice was now being commanded by the settlers.
Members of our societies are limited even from what they are gifted to do. Playing mbira was discouraged as it was equated to some act of evilness. This brought creative idleness leading African societies to be amenable. They live in anticipation of promises made to them by those who take charge of resources. The wait is forever, authorities become so powerful beyond reach. They regard demands from their people as some act of rebellion. I really do not know what brought the shift to place African status in the number of products, latest technology one posses from the first world. The society will always hallow those who have this borrowed status and it drives the better I do it myself syndrome more so that they can earn a good status too. This has become our culture.
We live once and for a very short time, people become desperate, and again the system does not promise to change any time. Our culture is referred to the way our ancestors lived yet even our laws were changed so that the settlers could have jurisdiction to sue the Africans for any violation of the new economic order they brought with them. Brewing beer for sale is a crime. Finding gold in your own premises is a criminal offence chargeable.
Everyone wants something to hold on to before they die. Our inherited abilities that we must be competent in have been rendered obsolete. Despite our elders regard of the clenched fist of a child birth as a sign of holding up their destiny. It is coming to naughty. Science explains it as palmer grasp reflex which prevents children from opening their hands. If you try to put your finger inside a child's palm you feel the grasping reflex. But our tradition sees otherwise. Nevertheless the myths and science, it is a reality everyone has a separate gift which must be put to use. Now with the few opportunities we have been left with what is our way out.
The skills we now acquire are there to advance the patents people in developed countries registered. Motor mechanics, electrical engineering and agricultural methods. Its routine work all the time there is no creativity. Our parents and grandparents did not make enough from employment until they retired. They continue to rely on the government and pension funds for survival. They also expect their children to look after them and the chain goes on, no savings no capital for Africa its consumption all the time. Even if Africa was to challenge by coming up with inventions how would they be funded. Our brothers and sisters in the diaspora work so hard and earn good money but the burden of social protection drains the would be capital we should be reserving.
Instead of getting credit for taking leadership in raising our communities, developing their skills and enlarging national proficiency. Nurturing skills for inventions that grow our exports and increase our trade volume. Africa is importing from sophisticated technology to minute toothpicks and ear cotton buds, products that a simple mechanised plant in the village can make. Youngman instead spend their day sloganeering and enjoying alcohol from the first world. They shun locally brewed beer because they find it inferior. Conflict is rife because opportunities are too little but expectations are high.
African man fortifies personal dominance even in areas he is not competent enough while the community becomes impoverished. It does not really matter how much it costs him to achieve what he wants. Sustainable nature is jeopardized, future generations’ needs are compromised. Advantage is being taken from the broken African Eldership and Leadership. Africans are against imperialism, capitalism and colonization while in public yet they practise it within communities.
There are a lot of needs that a single life must meet. Belonging to the global community has lessened burdens that could have taken forever because specialisation is now easy to share. But Africa must work up and contribute. Those multiple abilities are demanded to solve because problems never cease. Currently there is Covid 19 a deadly virus that has claimed close to 700 000 of our world population. Medication against the virus is in great need. The person who has to find the remedy has to be anyone including myself. But will Africa lead in finding the cure. It's a skill that our ancestors possessed but we wait upon the so called developed countries.
The human economic system works like this, an iron smith spends his time making hoes, spears and many other home metal implements. The farmer also spends time in the field growing crops. The iron smith time priority will be spend on his work giving him less time for farming. His expertise in farming will be poor. Though he needs food for survival. The same applies to the farmer who depends on the iron smith to make him hoes. The farmer’s produce should be sufficient for the iron smith too. So Africa what are we producing to exchange with developed countries.
We could be taking advantage of our geographical competiveness. Through some arcane act of God there is something utile in each and every country. It's axiom those developed countries do not have all the utile resources needed to survive. Globalisation has become an answer of easy accessibility of goods outside one’s speciality. There has to be a transfer of value so that goods can be exchanged.
This exchange of value is where Africa is failing to match with the developed countries. Value addition is the business competency and culture of Development countries. Africa has primary value which is more important but has failed in the last century to rescue it's citizens. Capital is the greatest agent of processing materials into valuable products from their primary value. The process of turning primary value into purchasable commodities is an aged culture of developed countries. Around 600 BC King Alyattes created a currency in Lydia now part of Turkey. This means products had already started being manufactured. It also means their culture has been developing from stage to stage.
Africa has failed to assign and own value. It waits and looks upon Europe, America and Asia to allot value in politics, economies, justice, entertainment, religion medicine and many other utilities of life. On top of the natural limitations there are, Africa is also burdened by putting those in developed countries in the lead. Employment seems the only exercise there is for the people of Africa to earn a living. Most of those ancient skills have been replaced by heavily capitalised industries. This has left a few opportunities while there are so many ostentatious gadgets and products being made in these other continents.
Their marketing is next to none such that it fosters interest of their products. According to Investopedia Coca Cola spends close to 4 billion United States Dollars per year since 2015 – 2019. The high budget is meant to maintain the Coca Cola stellar reputation. I remember when I was still at school. During break time those who could afford a coke were regarded highly. There was nothing else that could match refreshing with a coke. I still can sing the slogan, you cant beat the feeling.
The need for foreign made, foreign owned, foreign patent products continues to rise. The inheritance we should be enjoying was broken, the mechanisms our ancestors used to survive on have become disused because of the shifted circumstances. It could have been a smooth transfer. Only a few discoveries we still enjoy, its not our worry anymore to distinguish what herb is food from the poisonous one. Our ancestors bore out this for us.
Africa's diversity should be its strength. My former Pastor Rev Mupfawa used to talk about diversity. His statement usually was, “There is power in diversity”. This means we have variations of gifts, the way one will explain or report an issue is different from the next person. Someone may use a soft tone some formality and politeness in his communication, while the other will shout colloquially. The one using some formality I will call Jonathan, while the one using foul language I will refer to Joseph. I will continually refer to these two in this article. What ends up in Joseph’s mind is defeat, he does not see it as compliment that should challenge him to work hard where his gift is. As our elders belief that the clenched fist proves you have something of your own.
Joseph may invest a mind that he is a useless person but that is not it. There is some skill he is better than the sweet talker. It will not be in the best interests of our society to take the sweet talker as superior also because he can talk well. There are a lot of abilities the communicator is limited also. A well organised society should come up with means of interconnecting skills of each and every member, so as to add value to its members. We chase a few opportunities and we fight for the few jobs that are available because of the unambiguous benefits.
Africa dismisses it's competitive advantage rushing for low hanging fruits. Competitive advantage is a term that confirms existence of diverse of talents and skills. There are tasks you do better than the next person because it's naturally, geographically is in you. I have had a privilege to interview many musicians I work with in my consultancy. Most of them will tell you they started singing while they were still young. On their own they started following songs that were playing on radio. The passion and the discipline to follow the dictates of a song developed some skills gradually. Families that understood the singing encouraged the young singers and most of them testify that today it helped them to be who they are.
The skill of singing will come out naturally because it was developed over a long period of time and the voice was edified while it was young. The vocal muscles got tamed good enough a time. So competitively the young trained singer has an advantage over those who realise later when they are grown up. Given a singing task the young singer will impress. So competitive advantage differentiates us at the same time inform us we all have to be members in the fields of our expertise.
The rewards a better placed Jonathan earns from carrying out his duties makes many people envy and they will wish to eclipse him rather look into themselves and be creative. In my book Adversaries of Hope I wrote about discovery qualities. You need to know what you are capable of so that you can develop on it. Do no live by chance because chances are not sustainable. A lot of us end up desperate without areas of own competency.
If we check in international news it's shocking that African conflicts trend more than the products it makes. It will be a shame to find out Africa imports more than it exports. The imbalances are so detrimental to our economic values. Collectively we make up our country’s competency. A few rich Africans end up without peace. So if we fight for the conspicuous incomes how then will we fare with other nations that have multiple careers. The Americans have film, music, recreation and sport that form a strong entertainment industry. Mountain climbing is a money generating business through TV rights and endorsements.
Africans need to realise where they are, the selfishness culture continues to make our continent unfortified. We need leadership that cultivate a new culture that is economic sensitive. The disconnection from our past has opened vulnerability but we can't remain behind now. We are not at par with developed countries but we still have a future. We need to promote each and every invention and skills that sell globally. We need to learn to save and we need to manufacture our own products to minimise importing. Our minerals and all the natural resources must be processed and become finished products. We need more summits on working together and adding value to our African lives.
Fred Farai Nyakudanga FFF is an independent blogger who specialises on Creative and Cultural Development. Fred runs a music and musicians marketing consultancy in Harare. Fred is a Marketing and Development Practitioner.
The views in this blog are Fred's independent opinions
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