A NATION IN DISTRESS
“The only time there is electricity at my place is between 2300 and 04:55am everyday…” tweeted a local journalist on Sunday.
Someone responded to the tweet, noting that was also the time to expect a few drops of water to trickle from the taps once a week.
I thought of these tweets and how one of my cousins always asks me to bring her at least 20 litres of water when I drive to town the moment I read that Zimbabwe has once again been ranked among the unhappiest countries in the world.
Zim was ranked number 134 out of 137 nations according to the latest World Happiness Report. The report is compiled using factors such as social support, income, health, freedom to make one’s own life choices, and absence of corruption among other indicators.
Looking at the quality of life and how things continue changing for the worse in our country, it does not come as a surprise that we are a sad bunch.
Of course, one has to make the best out of every situation but the state of affairs in our country can drain the little positive energy one has.
People who are finding it especially tough are those in urban areas who have to endure long hours without electricity and days without running water.
Of course there are boreholes where people now get water from but that is not how life in urban centres should be.
In yesteryears, when people migrated from rural to urban areas, they were drawn by the ‘soft life’ of having running water in their homes and endless supply of electricity.
All that is gone now as Zimbabwe has literally gone 10 steps backs in terms of providing social amenities.
And the frustrating thing is that it all borders around poor and lack of planning. Our leaders are so engrossed in looting and corruption and are not the least bit bothered by the welfare of the people.
It does not come as a surprise that we are a sad bunch
Most urban centres are still using infrastructure from the Rhodesian era hence the problems we are currently facing.
Dams that were built decades ago for a small population are the same water sources expected to cater for the current number of people, which has obviously increased tenfold.
Meanwhile, they are busy looting gold and lining their already fat pockets, flying across the world to shop for high end goods while claiming Zimbabwe can’t progress because of sanctions.
We would be a happier people if all the resources were properly handled and if all the billions realised from gold sales were channelled to state coffers.
Instead, we are counted among depressed nations - only Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sierra Leone ranked lower; and indeed we are glum because everything seems to be upside down due to a few individuals who are in power and greedy.
Oh, and by the way, it seems happiness is in short supply south of the border, too, as Botswana were only ranked a couple of places (132) higher than us – now what do you lot have to be so miserable about?
Interestingly, Ukraine, currently under invasion and being torn apart by Russia, came in at 92nd on the list!