Dear Rutendo,
Typically, we think of the workplace as a formal setting like offices and factories, where individuals gather to earn a living.
However, I’d like to expand this concept. I believe a country can also be viewed as a workplace, where citizens engage in various forms of labour, both formal and informal.
This includes commercial traders, idea traders, and thought generators like yourself, who work tirelessly to brew and exchange ideas — both good and bad.
In essence, we are a nation at work, constantly contributing to the fabric of our society.
I hope this article finds you well, despite the numerous challenges we face in Zimbabwe.
Our nation is grappling with economic, social, and mental health struggles, which can be overwhelming.
In this context, I want to emphasise the importance of prioritising our mental well-being and fitness, in addition to our physical health.
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Rutendo, I’ve been following your work for some time, and initially, I thought you had a compelling message.
I listened with interest, hoping to learn from your experiences and insights.
However, I began to wonder if you were being serious or just joking around, particularly with your Ndebele kinsmen and fellow Zimbabweans.
Unfortunately, I’ve come to realise that you’re genuinely committed to your cause, but with a concerning level of unawareness.
Your words and actions seem to be marked by a kind of mental numbness, similar to the effects of shock, narcotics, or intoxicants.
It’s as if you’re acting in a state of drunkenness, without full control or memory of your actions, leaving you potentially regretful of your words and deeds upon reflection.
I feel a deep sense of concern for you, Rutendo, wondering if your words and actions stem from a prolonged state of unawareness, rather than just a fleeting moment of recklessness.
It appears that your specialty has become speaking without self-awareness, hurling insults, and spewing vitriol, which is a form of verbal abuse.
I have come to realise that you may need guidance to heal, my dear brother and fellow countryman.
I’m willing to take the time to help you understand your perspectives and where they’re coming from.
You may think you know your motivations, but I believe your biggest challenge is a lack of self-awareness.
If you’re open to listening and learning, I’m here to help.
You may experience a profound moment of clarity, a true “aha” moment, and perhaps even find yourself singing “Amazing Grace” - “I once was blind, but now I see.
With my understanding of human development principles, I’ve become fascinated with how they impact the mind and shape personality. Scott Peck, author of “The Road Less Travelled,” begins his book with a profound statement: “Life is difficult.”
He explains that acknowledging and accepting this truth allows us to transcend it, making life’s difficulties no longer matter.
Peck also notes that “we all have some degree of mental illness, and it’s a matter of degree.”
I believe that if we explore this concept together, I can help you understand your own mental wellness and work with you to heal and embrace life’s beauty.
This reminds me of the biblical story where Jesus heals a blind man, who initially sees people as trees walking.
This limited perception could have led to harm if he had an axe, symbolizing how distorted views can lead us to “chop and destroy” others.
I am willing to guide you in recognizing and addressing your own perceptions, Rutendo, to foster a more compassionate understanding of those around you.
In your partial blindness, I fear you wield the “axe” of political freedom to harm and abuse others, particularly the Ndebele tribe in Zimbabwe.
As a responsible leader, I would have intervened to make you aware of the dangers of fanning tribal divisions, which could escalate into conflict and unrest.
It’s concerning that you’re escalating this issue during a critical time when the government is addressing past ethnic killings, known as Gukurahundi, which many consider a genocide.
Your actions resemble a child’s careless behaviour, ignoring the efforts of elders working to resolve a significant village conflict.
This raises questions about your true political influence or if you’re simply a “hanger-on” (isiporori).
I hope to host you in Bulawayo as a brother and friend once this issue is resolved, and we can connect on a human level.
This article aims to lay the groundwork for addressing what I perceive as a human development issue in your behaviour.
I’d like to introduce you to a scientific research finding: our lives are largely shaped in the first seven years of existence.
This may not be your area of expertise, as your focus seems to be on historical events, such as King Mzilikazi’s alleged signing of the Potgieter Agreement in 1856.
I’m confident you lack concrete evidence for this claim. My approach is rooted in scientific and empirical evidence, unlike the speculative ideas you present as facts.
I have discouraged others from engaging with you on your insults, advocating for a loving and healing approach instead.
I believe your behaviour stems from a lack of self-love, leading to self-hurt, Afro-phobia, and other phobias.
Fear not, I willl explain these concepts in a spirit of love and compassion and help you heal.
In the next article, let’s explore your early years, and I’ll guide you in understanding the development of your ego. It’s a story built around your thoughts, emotions, body, and energy.
In your case, this narrative has become distorted, leading you to perceive everyone as an enemy.
Through scientific evidence, I’ll show you that you were born with only two innate fears. However, during your first seven years, you accumulated numerous acquired fears through your experiences.
These fears drive your thoughts and behaviours, masquerading as intelligence and bravado, when in fact, you are afraid, even terrified by the idea of true freedom, your own freedom and the freedom of others.
Imagine a grown man clinging to a temporary identity like tribe, fearing freedom.
You are behaving like a child with separation anxiety, clinging to a familiar identity and pushing away anyone who tries to broaden your perspective.
I’ve discouraged others, particularly from the Ndebele ethnic group, from engaging with you because I believe your personal issues shouldn’t be legitimized and allowed to divide Zimbabweans along tribal lines. Instead, I will address your concerns myself, with love and compassion.
I am confident in my ability to handle this situation, and I look forward to continuing our conversation next week, Cde.
*Bhekilizwe Bernard Ndlovu is a human capital executive in Zimbabwe, specialising in human resources management, training, development, and transformation, behavioural change, applied drama, personal mastery, and mental fitness. He is also a PhD researcher at Wits University, investigating violent strikes in the South African workplace. With experience as an HR practitioner in Zimbabwe and operations roles in South African social marketing organisations, Ndlovu remains passionate about people affairs and performance management. Reach him at bhekilizweb.bn@gmail.com
