Ageism is like racism, sexism, tribalism

OF the many life lessons I have been a student of, age and intelligence have always been recurrent, let me say, growth is the best lorry of incubating intelligence.

Within that module, I have experienced how society has butchered good ideas by young people because their opinions cannot be ordained for lack of liberation credentials. In the same vein, the young and restless have denounced any opinion from he who was born before or during the brutal Rhodian to Smithian Regime. Both generations in their conflict have arsoned ideas, brazing any edge of brilliant signatures in either’s ideas all because they suppose idea legitimacy is guaranteed by generation belonging as if age is more than a number. In all this misplaced and calculated violence of idea-legitimacy, both have forgotten that categorisation of age and brilliance to national goals acquiesce enhanced results for this nation, we all have a specific role in this country.

I do not want to be economic with the truth as always — ageism is taken as a scourge in our nation by some people. We are quick to disregard brilliance because one is either old or young, yet in its all forms, ageism is discriminatory, just like racism, sexism and tribalism. We need national healing from this. Let’s excuse ourselves from all forms of discrimination if the idea of segregation is bad as we so much believe it to be.

This article is inspired by a robust and nourishing discussion I had on Africa Day at the launch of Bluez Cafe. For those of you who do not know what that is; it’s a creative hub meant to incubate artistes and provide talent display space to the ever growing and potentially lucrative creative industry in Bulawayo. My discussion with some prominent arts consultants stretched from Bond notes’ success, the appraisal of SI64,#MenareTrash to how “governance of arts in the country needs a new face — a young minister to be precise”. A discussion with some big names I have studied at colleges always an honour I should remark.

Separation of Arts from the Rurals Mzembi or Makhosini Hlongwane should be the minister in charge and three, there are specific ministries that exclusively need young and intelligent ministers. Well, on the mention of names, it wasn’t absolutes, these were suggestions fed by what they know of the two inspirations. What kept ringing in my mind was how age and competence are symbiotically related and how the blend of young and competent can best serve and save our nation as long as we do not make the mistake of assuming that age ultimately means competence. We need the age coupled with competence.

Competent young people need to be appointed to Ministries such as Sport, Tourism, Arts, Youth and ICT because the constituents for those ministries are young citizens. The factor of constituency buy-in comes into play when young people best identify with a young policy maker and in many instances, Zimbabwe has always been bedevilled with lack of that buy-in. Ministries such as Defence, Foreign and Home Affairs as well as Media and Information need competent and experienced older people with broader political exposure because these are sensitive ministries that require mental and political stamina. It would be folly to assume that at 29, I have gained so much political experience to best protect Zimbabwe from geo-political bullying and thrusting cultural hegemonies which Media and information always protects us from. The truth is His Excellency President Robert Mugabe has always had an accurate eye in appointing young people to “young” ministries and the evidence is bare for all of us to see albeit some of them disappoint him.

The Wal-Mak of our Success Having only been appointed to the Ministry of Sport and Recreation in 2014, Honourable Makhosini Hlongwane has revolutionised the sports fraternity with a monumental Sports Policy, a dream of 8 000 soccer teams to broaden the national selection base of which I am told they have surpassed more than 2 000 launched teams so far, a revival of City Council sports facilities and the regulation of sports in Zimbabwe is getting stable now. We can accredit this admirable reaching to his protracted link with sports as a journalist, but we cannot exempt the role of his age in being brisk, innovative and very much proficient in an economic competitive enterprise such as sport. Not only is the Honourable Minister intelligent, he cleans very well, as well. At every occasion you meet him, you can tell that this is a young man who not only drinks water, but uses it to bath as well. This is the politics of “coolness” I once wrote about. Young people, who are the largest constituency of sports easily identify with a clean and seemingly successful opinion leader and to them, Hlongwane is one such energetic, innovative and elegant young minister who has brought reprieve to the once dying Ministry of Sport and Recreation.

Apart from him, another successful case study that emerged in the virulent discussion, as many people joined, is Honourable Walter Mzembi. Undoubtedly this is the most “swaggarific” minister we have. One discussant even jokingly described the beauty of the minister’s wife and how the Honourable is always ready to show the world how much he loves his wifeand that’s an inspiration. In this generation, fidelity is a scarce attribute, when you see it don’t hesitate to marvel-Minister Walter inspires many young Zimbabweans to marry beautiful and intelligent women, at the same time not be consumed by the beauty to forget their national duty. So far, so good, the Minister of Tourism has changed the face of tourism in Zimbabwe. I don’t want to get into the statistics for fear of diluting this article into an economics piece yet it’s just a conversation. Minister Mzembi historically brought the UNWTO summit to Zimbabwe, igniting the global confidence in Zimbabwe’s tourism at a time when fear had grappled all those who feared cholera and civil unrest fraudulent reports by BBC and CNN. Just recently, he was contesting for the UNWTO Secretary General Post and lost by a small margin. What matters is not the result; it’s the confidence to contest for such a powerful post. Our discussion concluded, likewise, there are young ministries which need a didactic and intelligent champion. One who will realise that creatives, sport, technology and country exploration are an economic competitor globally. When USA prioritises taxing Rick Ross, it should mean something to them as it should to us. The success of global culture dominance and product competitiveness is hinged on policies created to enhance that industry and those policies are born from realising that the industry is now dynamic, it needs someone who is in contact with it, who can best sell the idea to the constituency for a buy in. One such model is having the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, that of Tourism, the Arts and ofcourse, the Ministry of Youth led by intelligent young ministers who can design and sell competitive ideas to the constituency.