Let’s reap what we sow

The Chronicle

Stephen Mpofu, Perspective
THE Second Republic led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set 2030 as the year for Zimbabwe to flaunt a middle-income State and for others elsewhere in the global village to emulate that where necessary.

Let us then liken that targeted year for desired growth in all economic spheres to a field where we must of necessity sow in order to reap the results of our sweat in a brave new future.

However, unexpected human frailties are wont to make some people think that the desired 2030 economic achievements are a tall order for Zimbabwe to achieve.

These are the same workers who will leave behind jackets and/or handbags hung up on chairs to make strangers believe that the owners of those items are busy planting or cultivating somewhere in the fields when the indolents finally show up with neither a bead of sweat on their brows nor blister on their hands and demanding to reap together with busy bees where the sluggards never sowed.

Curiosa and curiosa!

That is particularly tragically ironic if the lazy workers are on Government payroll and must of necessity set examples to the public sector with their demonstrative hard work in the economic and social development of our motherland so that those gallant sons and daughters of the soil who sacrificed their dear lives for the freedom and independence of our motherland should not turn in their graves.

Of course, employers in the private sector, at least some of them, use a motivational device for their workers to receive higher new pay rewards befitting their hard work, when the increases are due, instead of both the industrious and lazy workers receiving the same percentage salary increases when these are announced — something which does not at all incentivise all the workers to roll up sleeves and put in their best performance for the economic growth of the country.

Time must now, therefore, be long overdue for public sector employees to introduce performance appraisals so that only those of their workers who put in their all get pay rises commensurate with performance points given them on their appraisal form by their supervisors as a way of motivating the less productive workers to pull up their socks as it were.

A ploughing spun of oxen and donkeys does not allow for the latter to stray from the farrow and brows on the grass, thereby causing the plough to leave ugly banks behind — an example that must be followed by both public and private sector employees.

Therefore, if workers in the two sectors in point do not put in sterling work, and instead demand higher rewards for less or mediocre work done, Vision 2030 will be a nullity and our country will have little or no chance whatsoever of moving into a brave new future for all.

Those who have eyes to read or ears to hear this discourse, should act accordingly for the good of our nation.

What is stated in this article also suggest that employers, be they State or private hirers of labour, become sensitive to the needs of their workers so that wild cat strikes, such as the recent ones by teachers demanding higher pay, and therefore disadvantaging learners, may be prevented for the good of learners and with that the unimpeded development of our nation in peace and tranquillity.

Of course, the strike in question — or any other such work stoppage for that matter — is meant by the aggrieved to read as a statement asking for authorities in question to improve the conditions of service for those aggrieved.

But, of course, the walk out also implicates the employer for being insensitive to the grievances of the workers and the latter of being impatient when exhaustive dialogue has the potential to resolve such grievances and forestore action disruptive to part of a country’s national growth.

When all is said and done, patriotism is made to run or walk on its feet for the good of any nation, ours included.

Article Source: The Chronicle

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