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At home opportunities created by the ruling party should serve as a disincentive for any attraction to foreign ideologies and programmes. But has the ruling party done enough? No, it hasn’t!

A few days ago, this writer held back from expressing an opinion on a serious future national question.

At the end of last month, it was announced that 60 young Zimbabwean “leaders” had qualified for selection to participate in US President Barack Obama’s so-called Mandela Washington Fellowship Programme for Young African Leaders.

According to the United States Embassy in Harare, the participants, “were chosen through a highly competitive application process with more than 1 600 candidates who submitted applications for selection for the programme”.

At the end, 31 males and 29 females qualified.

We are told that the Young African Leadership Initiative “is a part of the commitment of the United States to invest in the future of Africa”.

According to the US: “The White House created this initiative out of the recognition of the critical and increasing role that young Africans play in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security on the con- tinent.

“The Zimbabwean Fellows will be among the 1 000 Mandela Washington Fellows travelling from across Africa to the United States in mid-June for a six-week programme of leadership training, academic coursework and mentoring. The programme is designed to hone the skills they need to serve their communities.”

A bit of background: “The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders started in 2014. Since then, 60 Zimbabwean young leaders from diverse sectors, including business, civil society and the media, have participated in the programme. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, the Fellows continue to build the skills they developed during their time in the United States through support from the embassy; the Regional Leadership Centre in South Africa, and the YALI Network. Through these experiences, Mandela Washington Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking and training, and competitive seed funding to support their ideas, businesses,and organisations.”

So, when the qualifying candidates were announced at the aforementioned time, a number of them took to social media to express happiness at the opportunity to be going to the United States and shaking hands with vauntedly the most powerful leader on the planet.

For many of them this was a once a lifetime opportunity.

And it is.

As the programme stipulates and envisions, it is about capturing future leaders and “hone” their skills.

That is a euphemism, though.

The programme is all about stealing bright Africans – bright Zimbabweans – for indoctrination so that in the near future they can become client leaders of the imperial US, having been schooled and impressed in American ways.

It is an age-old phenomenon and one that has wrought so many leaders in States that’s have been targeted for American regime change especially in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

Even where there hasn’t been such regime change there are always elements that have received American education to serve client interests.

Not to say the British, for example, have not done so either.

We have a couple of bright guys that have received scholarships and training from the British establishment, whether they have gone on to become clients or not.

But there is a particular issue that stands out, and one which led this writer, extroverted as he is, to keep his mouth shut.

There is a dilemma.

Take a look at the young Zimbabweans who were happy to be poached, knowingly or unknowingly, by America using the agency of the celebrity President Barack Obama.

Many of them are veritable – and incarnate – opposition and anti-establishment.

However, what has drawn them to that position is the lack of opportunities in their home country, especially given that they are educated and are ready to take on the world.

The ruling establishment of this country has taken them for granted or so they feel.

Maybe they are right.

But we also lack resources as a country, which calls on patience and foreboding.

Yet that’s idealistic.

Young people look for opportunities and romanticise and imagine things.

Being on the same stage with a Barack Obama presents the height and apex of this opportunity and adventure.

Perhaps we should not fault them.

The majority of young people would readily do, what with the magic bullet global media propaganda.

So who can really blame the youths, especially when no opportunities are created by our own?

The writer just recently excoriated an excited alumnus of this same programme which has coloured the young radio presenter’s judgment as to be blind to the national interest.

The writer felt a twinge of guilt afterwards.

The writer is considerate, you may say.

The writer is also frustrated.

How many opportunities have young people of Zimbabwe been given to meet and discuss with their President?

Why should there be a bigger opportunity and chance for the young leader in the writer to shake hands with US President Barack Obama than his own President?

Why is it that one may find it easy to see the future as imbued in the American flag and ideals than Zimbabwean revolutionary ideals that have been remarkably personified by Robert Mugabe?

Why are there no opportunities to learn from friendly countries?

The ideas of Robert Mugabe are way too superior than whatever a Barack Obama could ever muster, surely?

Why then does the leadership of this country flout such an opportunity to serve the human race and allow young people to be seduced by the harlot beauty of America?

There are so many of dedicated young leaders who will never be able to shake the hand of their icon.

There are so many young leaders who will never have the opportunity to be schooled at the Chitepo Ideological School.

It may never be established.

The ruling party is sitting on the idea; procrastinating.

President Mugabe may never be able to teach and lecture at that futuristic school.

Africans at home and the Diaspora would benefit, too, from an ideological school whose principal would be President Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

At home opportunities created by the ruling party should serve as a disincentive for any attraction to foreign ideologies and programmes.

But has the ruling party done enough?

No, it hasn’t!

Even the best defenders and supporters of the ruling party find it hard to acquire such things as land, which is a revolutionary ideal?

A buffer has been created in front of our own leader.

Many that defend the right ideology of the ruling party, except in a few cases where the politically connected are, look miserably out of touch with reality.

They are poor.

Their leaders do not seem to care or know.

To add salt to the wound some opportunists, at best, and at worst outright sellouts are allowed to eat of the fat of the land, and even enjoy the company of the revolutionary President.

Poor, unlucky patriots wallow in poverty and want.

They become the laughing stock, at worst, labouring, as they seemingly do, for nothing.

How attractive, then, for young people to be drawn to all kinds of mischief such as YALI!

Authorities should take note.

They should remember the future.