ZIMBABWEANS need to recognise and address the brokenness, toxicity and division that is hindering nation building, Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) chairman Trevor Ncube has said.
AMH are publishers of the weeklies Zimbabwe Independent, The Standard and daily NewsDay, and also own online broadcaster Heart & Soul.
Speaking at the ongoing In Conversation with Trevor (ICWT) Ideas Festival in Nyanga, Manicaland province, on Tuesday, Ncube said citizens need to engage in tough discussions to mend the broken relationships hampering national progress.
"Zimbabwe is a broken nation, plagued by toxicity, brokenness and division, where meaningful conversations are scarce. We do not engage with ideas that truly matter, instead talking across each other without resolving issues. To build a better future, we must confront our challenges head-on and foster constructive dialogue,” said Ncube.
The media mogul also emphasised the need for individual reform and reflection, particularly among political leaders, in order to find sustainable solutions to challenges that the country faces instead of constant politicking.
"Zimbabwe and Africa's transformation begins with individual change, not just politics,” he said.
“We need personal reformation, reflection on our values and principles, and trained leaders. Our problems start at the family level; if the family is broken, that family will not produce a functional society. And it's the same at the national level. Why is it that people who go into politics are never trained? Why is it that everybody else - bankers, professors, nurses, and so forth - get trained? We need to prepare the next leadership for this continent, and that requires training politicians on what politics is truly about.”
In its third edition, the four-day conference, themed ‘Transformative Ideas to Power Innovation and Entrepreneurship’, has attracted esteemed guests from different sectors of the economy who are set to engage in discussions crucial in shaping Zimbabwe’s future.
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Speaking at the same event, Sierra Leone artificial intelligence (AI) expert Terrence Okeke Taylor called on Zimbabwe and other African countries to embrace the new technologies as an enhancement tool rather than a threat as it could spur development.
"Africa can leapfrog through technology, specifically AI. I believe technology always gives us the opportunity to leap forward. We have done it before in things like communication. We had to go through putting landlines in every home, but now we have cell phones in every pocket. So, I believe technology always gives us the opportunity to leap forward,” he said. "Another thing that you have to understand is that AI will not replace humans, but those who know AI will replace you. Someone who knows AI and uses AI is going to replace you. If you are afraid that AI is going to replace you, you are looking at the wrong thing. Look at who else is learning AI and how to use it because that is the person who is most likely going to replace you."
