Sustainability lost

November 12, 2008 by Duwe ·
Filed under: Economy, How Zimbabwe can be better, Zimbabwean diaries

The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching Obama win the US Presidential elections brought through such a powerful wave of emotions. Wonder and relief mixed with positive hope for change. There is shift happening in the world, and this feels part of this shift. But this is about America. I am Zimbabwean. Why has this affected me so much?

I feel the answer has to lie in his amazing journey. The man has won against such huge adversity. His message of change and hope for the future won out against the state machines. There was not an entirely fair or level playing field. Like many other countries, the government in power had the resources and the ability to put barriers in the way of the opposing party. Oh it was far less devastating and pervasive as it is in some countries, but it still existed.

I cannot help but compare this to the host of emotions I have had with our own election process. I have dared to hope for a resolution countless times, only to have those hopes dashed by games and manipulations. When can we start rebuilding our country? And to that end, how is it going to be rebuilt?

My vision for the rebuilding of our nation was so optimistic and naive a few months ago. We find ourselves with a unique opportunity. The world is changing. The focus is moving away from oil as the fuel of choice to renewable energy. There is so much good will and investment in this movement; Zimbabwe is well placed to gather some of that good will and investment. The fact that we are landlocked and reliant of oil has made Zimbabwe venerable. What country in the world is so well placed to rebuild its infrastructure based upon sustainability? Through careful planning and through restructuring Zimbabwe can become self-sufficient, I mean truly self-sufficient. No more dependence on the West, no more begging bowls for aid. We have the sun and the wind to create power based upon renewable energy for example.

Instead of building houses we should be building communities. A house is far more than a few breezeblocks and a roof. Advances in technology are ensuring micro generation (producing power from solar and wind power domestically) is achievable, affordable and can contribute to the national grid. Our guttering systems on our roofs should incorporate water buts that are sealed and designed to prevent plagues of mosquitoes. These are just a few examples out of thousands.

My hopes and vision for this future are fading fast. For this to happen we need an open society. People need access to information. Sustainability starts with the communities and spreads out. A sustainable programme has to involve everybody. People need to get together and mobilise. People need access to open information. The people in charge of these initiatives have to be open and accountable. There has to be a robust, sustainability plan that has buy in from everyone. I cannot see that happening in Zimbabwe.

As the world becomes impatient with Zimbabwe, and as the global credit crisis deepens, the people who had the goodwill and the money to help with this vision are fast loosing interest. They are looking after themselves, or looking for other areas in the world that are desperately calling out for assistance.

We are but a tiny dot in this world, insignificant on a global scale. As the world starts looking elsewhere and our own hopes for change and prosperity diminish, what does Zimbabwe have left?

Tell the world: