By Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa
You reap what you sow is a principle as old as life itself and the Bible even carries it. Our ancients knew of it and thus always encouraged their offspring to do well. They also knew that as God had commanded; “from the sweat of thy brow shall you eat” hard work pays.
These principles which have become scarce in the world were man’s hearts are continually evil are epitomised by one young man Terrence Maphosa who like the brilliant young Zimbabwean player, Tinotenda Kadewere is currently trending as #FambaTerry on social media. The political science graduate from the University of Zimbabwe refused to be carried by the wind and follow the usual trend of young people educated into political science to become a political activist.
Instead he chose to eat from the sweat of his brow so to speak.
In a rural area called Mhondoro-Ngezi, one and a half years after graduating from University, Terry, as he is affectionately known among his friends realised that he was not going to land a white collar job. So he went the alternative route, utilized the available resources to earn a living. What is even sweeter is Terry chose indigenous chickens or roadrunners as they are colloquially known, and boy, has he soared into the clouds!
Yes, his choice of product to’ grow’ as it were is not traditionally seen as an occupation for men, those chickens are raised for food at family level but Terry has made them fashionable.
All this of course is not so important as what the choice Terry made that has led him to re-trend. Terry used social media to not incite others to rebel against the government, to shout about non-existent crisis or to wail about the economy. Terry used Twitter to show government the results of his sweat. He used the powerful and extremely far-reaching micro-blogging site to lobby government to offer him land so he may carry out what the President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and John Basera, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement has been urging for; Production, Production and Production!
Permanent Secretary Basera, true to government promise to provide opportunities for all, heeded Terry’s plea and promised the young man assistance. He in fact told the young man that he, Terry, owed him coffee. Permanent Secretary Basera can afford his own cup of coffee true, but Terry bought him the cup of coffee anyway and the rest as they say is history.
Terry got his letter offering land on 6th of April 2021 and then the foolishness began!
While normal, hard working people were congratulating Terry and thumping government for keeping its promise with even the usually vocal ant-government critic and MDC Alliance Youth Movement Assembly national chairperson Tererai Obey Sithole praising the awarding of the land to Terry, some people decided to do a Chamisa and rain on the parade!
Suddenly some people where angry that he got land, some accusing him of being a ZANU PF project. These are the very people who complain that government does not offer youths opportunity and that land is offered along party lines. These are the people who went mad when Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana got a piece of land.
The bottom line is, young Terry chose to do away with useless and retrogressive activism, stupid pride and went the traditional way. He realised land was the ECONOMY.
After utilising the small space he had and realising he could live off the land and not waste time job hunting but create employment, he asked for more land. Terry epitomises the old adage; hard work pays and is a true representative of the New Dispensation’s way of thinking. President Mnangagwa has said politics will be taking the back seat to Economics. Terrence Maposa took up the challenge and has been duly rewarded for his hard work.
Terry’s is an example of a listening Government, a ZANU PF government that is alive to the needs of the young, a system that rewards hard work and ambition.
Terry is also an example of young people whose names are spoken in councils of noble men. He is an example to other youths in Zimbabwe and indeed an epitome of the national ethos. He grew up in rural areas, tilling the land. He did not let the failure to land a job be a chance to despair or to start pointing a finger at the government for perceived failures.
Terry knew that only one person was responsible for his circumstances and chose to change his. He did so by embracing government policies and then putting the government to task by asking for what he rightly deserved; LAND!
The government is committed to empowering those young people with the right focus. Opportunities abound in Zimbabwe and can be grabbed by all who recognise opportunity despite political affiliation.
In the past few days, social media was awash with a now-forgotten one who would have been a graduate but graduate an undergraduate, one who should have donned a graduation gown and ca but now dons prison garb , and is a right villain.
Makomborero embodies the directionless breed of young people who are used by foreign powers to cast Zimbabwe in a bad light in exchange for few crumbs.
A breed that uses social media for counterproductive purposes and for a few likes modern-day social media. Now he is in prison and his life at a standstill.
On the other hand is Terry, who is holidaying in the Eastern highlands, supplying every town with chickens, creating employment, having coffee with the powers that be, getting offered land, all because he made the right choice. He used social media positively and progressively!
So there is Terry, an inspirational, young educated rural farmer who is now a proud owner of a piece of land, trending on social media and a true modern day hero.
On the other side is the now forgotten Makomborero, a gullible, irresponsible, retrogressive activist who failed to finish school, is in jail and a villainn.
To Terry; if you can read this, please take a few chickens to Chikurubi Maximum Prison. Makomborero will be grateful.
From Terry you will get FOOD for the stomach, I give you FOOD for THOUGHT
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