Zimbabwe needs a new work ethic – Cde Chinomona

Zimbabwe needs a new work ethic – Cde Chinomona

Hosia Mviringi

As Zimbabwe seeks to adjust into a leapfrog strategy as a way to catch up on lost development momentum as a result of economic sanctions, a new work culture has been identified as the missing link for the attainment of set economic objectives.

The country, which has been angling to capitalise on increased industrial and agricultural productivity on the strength of strong infrastructure development, has been urged to adopt a new work ethic which is premised on increased man-hour per day.

Speaking in an interview marking the start of a countdown to the ZANU PF 7th Women’s League Conference pencilled for June 23, 2022, National Secretary for Women’s Affairs in the Politburo, Cde Mabel Memory Chinomona expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current work ethic among Zimbabweans.

“We are blessed as a nation for a hardworking leader in President Emmerson Mnangagwa. It is my wish that this country could move away from the routine 8am-5pm working model and adopt a 24 hour working cycle.
This will be very critical if the country is going to claw back on lost time in the past 15 – 20 years of retarded growth. The construction, agricultural and industrial sectors of the economy will be critical drivers of the envisaged rapid economic growth,” said Cde Chinomona.

In 2018, on a state visit to the People’s Republic of China, President Mnangagwa revealed that Zimbabwe lagged behind by 15-20 year’s of economic development owing to the debilitating regime of Western economic sanctions which were occasioned on the country as retaliation against the land reform program of the early 2000’s.

Resultantly, a whole generation has been lost along the way due to lack of a good quality of life.

“Take for example the current construction project on the envisaged state of the art Mbudzi interchange on the Harare-Masvingo exit highway. Honestly for some of us who are living on borrowed time due to our advanced age, we may never get to experience the splendour of the modern interchange due to the slow pace of construction,” said Cde Chinomona.

“I would want to urge the President to supervise these projects of national importance to ensure that contractors treat them with the necessary urgency. Delivery of such projects have a bearing on the country’s ability to scale back on lost time and catch up or even overtake other regional economies,” she added.

Zimbabwe is endowed with a hardworking population which is yearning for an opportunity to work and contribute to their country’s development. Yet the current work culture which sticks to a single 8am-5pm working shift, has inhibited the country’s inherent potential for rapid economic growth.

“In many developed countries, and more specifically in rapidly developing economies such as China, companies long adopted 24 hour working shifts and it’s working wonders. A bridge that would rather take three months to build in Zimbabwe, can be build overnight under flood light in China. This level of efficiency impacts positively on productivity as extra capacity is quickly released for new projects,” she continued.