By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:32:41 +0000

I have been following with keen interest the stories of the women harvesting sperm from men, the snake and matumbu tales doing their rounds in Zim. An initial reaction to these stories is horror and total disgust to the people involved. However on further reflection i started wondering if maybe one of the major reasons for people-particularly young people in doing these deeds is the issue of high unemployment in Zim. In a situation where people are highly educated and that education is far from a guarantee for getting a job, the desperation-coupled by family pressure to get just any job can surely get to you. This desperation opens up the space for one to make various choices to earn a living – including those that one would under normal circumstances consider undesirable. For my part I feel that it is a great tragedy that our highly educated society has to resort and be reduced to such unpalatable choices. It is a tragedy for our country and has compromised the country’s moral and ethical fibre. I wonder is this can this ever be restored?

I believe that our government should be supporting employment opportunities through creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to thrive. However in my view it appears that the government punishes its people for trying to be entrepreneurial. They allow cheap imports from China in mass at the expense of the local industries which can provide more meaningful employment opportunities. Those who know China’s track record know that they do not really create meaningful employment opportunities for the local population. if they do not bring over their own people, they pay a pittance to the local population, they abuse workers and trample on the rights of the workers becuase they know they can get away with it. Why are they not stringently regulated? The government also continues to allow for other cheap imports like the infamous GMO chickens again at the expense of the local industry. Why not protect your local industry until it rebuilds and is strong again then maybe consider allowing for those imports?
The government exerts high taxes and duties on locals importing staff for re-sale. My feeling is that they coud give some favourable concessions to locals who are really trying to earn an honest living.

I urge the government to provide the necessary incentives for locals to create jobs through encouraging and rewarding true honest entrepreneurship.

Comments on: Looking for work

By: Pat