Zimbabwe Netball Team redefines the narrative
New media continues to stretch connections and expand conversations between individuals and institutions pushing similar, sometimes divergent interests. These interlocking conversations are inevitably revealing links between traditionally divorced issues and Twitter has not failed to headline this process by providing a platform of convergence on political, social, economic, entertainment and sporting news that impact on the lived realities of Zimbabweans, among other global consumers of online content. This brief article was conceived from a Twitter conversation started by @MantateQueeneth and picked up by @chenesaimangoma. We felt we owed it to the Zimbabwean Netball Team, now fondly referred to as the zimGEMS, to elaborate on the impact that we feel they have made on the nation. They have reinstated our hope in a Zimbabwe that can compete alongside other nations and we hope by archiving these thoughts many more will learn from our zimGEMs.
@MantateQueeneth :I do not know if it is just me but I am struggling to view the excellent work of our national netball team without scaling it against the leadership of Zimbabwe. I keep asking myself just why the government cannot do as good a job in the execution of its duties. In my mind it is all just a puzzle of willingness and commitment to do best what one is designed by virtue of their post and profession to do.
@chenesaimangoma: In my sense, the girls have demonstrated the power of civil society. They organized themselves to the point of qualifying. While I agree the government is failing in its mandate, the netball team reminds me that the power is with the people and WE must play our role for change to happen.
@MantateQueeneth: Totally! I remember the excitement when the zimGEMs qualified for the world cup. The scary thing for me was ever seeing that excitement spiral down on grounds of no substantial financial support to enable the netball team to effectively participate in a global competition that they have proven to us they are legitimately qualified for. Looking at how they fought to get to that world cup, the level of buy-in, the eventual financial support from the people around them and the kind of national pride they have reignited among millions of Zimbabweans, I am convinced beyond doubt that all that Zimbabwe and the world needs to progress is for people to just play their part in building the shared vision. It sounds very simple when I think of it, and maybe my question is, why is it not as simple for those in office?
@chenesaimangoma: I absolutely agree that the moment was truly nerve wracking. With everything going on in Zimbabwe, I was almost certain it was going to be another “dream deferred”. Yet they triumphed - against all odds so to speak! That Brings me to a lesson my dad taught us, he taught us that we must build value first before thinking investment, partnership or loan acquisition. He is very clear that without some form of stored value there is nothing to talk about and definitely nothing to show. The girls brought this lesson home, they organized themselves and overcame obstacles to build themselves up to the global stage (note to the GEMS: the whole non-cliche story of your journey is worth hearing ). Once the girls' value was clear and tangible it made it feasible and possible to find partners, investors and sponsors! Which brings me back to my point on civil society that we as composing the millions of Zimbabweans, we must understand that the right to citizenship comes with a subsequent responsibility to contribute to the transformation and the sustainable development of our nation . Imagine if all 16 plus million of us focused on what we are truly good at, beat the odds and stored value? What would that look like? I am not ignoring the elephant in the room which is the Government. For now, I want us to imagine what that picture of civil society mobilized for change would look like.
@MantateQueeneth: I think that is really what beats me. We have a whole spectrum of stakeholders undoubtedly aware of what piece they are in the puzzle of this country’s present and future development but are we all playing our cards right? The netball team showed me something I had never paid attention to- how we all want to be associated with success! We all support what takes us on a victory path and honestly there is nothing wrong with that. It is actually powerful if it inspires us to invest in the efficiency of that tool to our shared success. I would want to believe that the momentum we built around the games played by our GEMS, even when they lost a match against New Zealand made them feel strong enough to keep fighting. They are fighters without our cheering, but they fight in a whole different way when we carry them on our shoulders. And I think that is where your point about stored value and how it relates to investment and partnerships. The GEMS convinced us that they were about getting the job done and we placed a bet on them, one we do not regret. Civil society, government and other players like the media are not immune to this lesson. As institutions of democracy and governance, they need to show us that they are about getting the job done, and prove it, the same way the GEMS did. That is the only legitimate way I see these players gunnering citizen buy-in and the support necessary to do their jobs. Anything else just won’t make the cut.
@chenesaimangoma: I sometimes think that we have a general sense of entitlement. This entitlement mindset makes us act as though we are waiting for someone else to come to save us. This affects our ability to plan practical action towards tangible change so instead we bury ourselves in “talk shop” after “talk shop” . Side note, just how much money is spent hosting conferences? Like how much does it cost to fly delegates to Victoria Falls to have a 4 day conference at Elephant Hills Hotel? Are these 'talk shops' building tangible value? Before I get carried away, back to the point which is that the GEMS build themselves up. I am sure their conditions were far from optimal but that did not stop them from creating tangible value. They endured the process and emerged at the top. What I observed as pivotal to their success is their organization. Man, these ladies are organized! Their authenticity and passion is infectious. That in itself takes a certain level of investment in processes and procedures. I remember reading an interview where the coach was asked how she could be so confident about the girls' performance before a game and she responded saying it is because she knows what her girls' are capable of.
This response speaks to what I have come to coin as the 'man in the mirror test'. I use this test daily to remind myself that change starts with me. I look into the mirror at least five times a day and in those five times I am challenged to reflect on the change that I am making with reference to the things that I do not like about myself as well as the community at large. You already guessed it, my favorite song by Micheal Jackson is 'Man in the Mirror'.
When you look in the mirror what do you see? I am sure for the zimGems coach she sees what the girls and her have invested with reference to time towards skills development, team building and resilience building. I will be quick to add that these lessons that we are unpacking in this dialogue are not just for the government, the lessons are for all components of society including civil society. I don’t think it’s naive to imagine that if we shifted from an “entitlement” mindset towards one of “self help” our whole nation would benefit richly. Surely from your apt observation @MantateQueeneth we need to realize that there is value in investing in processes and procedures that can yield high returns of sustainable success.
@MantateQueeneth: That is why I am of the view that all it takes is the choice and decision to commit to my role as a citizen, a civic actor, media practitioner or government official, whoever I am, I need to show respect for myself and the people that look up to me by playing my part. And you are right to bring in the man in the mirror test because it takes into cognisance the team that you choose to push your duties. It takes integrity, transparency and confidence in the people in your circle to look in the mirror and be convinced you are the A team. It means there’s deliberate investment in the growth of every member of your team because your weakest link is also your strongest, depending on how you deal your cards. No one fragments the GEMS when they reference the good work they put in, because it was team work and teamwork as we have been preaching talks about each member knowing who they are in the game and how much is required of them to make the team work. When everyone puts in the sweat the victories and failures are shared. Like they say, ‘I am because they are!’
Lessons from the GEMS 💎
@MantateQueeneth: The GEMS taught me that it starts when you believe yourself worthy and capable. You cannot sell a product you are not confident in. That just does not speak to Mantate but it brings to question how convincing and relevant products the government sells to citizens are. It challenges civil society to bring to the table programs that respond to the needs of the people they serve. It questions the authenticity and objectivity of our media houses and practitioners in informing citizens as well as in holding everyone accountable. I also learnt to keep sight of the demands of my role. If the GEMS left Zimbabwe to play netball then we can all agree they did that well. All of us need to learn that, we are a piece in the puzzle of our nation’s future and unless we fit ourselves where we are needed, we become useless to the overall goal of the team we are playing for.
@chenesaimangoma: Well said queen Mantate, I echo those lessons. I would like to add that the zimGEMs have changed the narrative on the capacity of civil society. They have directly taught us that civil society can build its own value, that civil society can organize for sustainable change, that civil society can beat the odds and impact the lives of the 16 million Zimbabweans and finally that there is value in authenticity and passion. This journey presents a prototype to the formula on how we can 'make Zimbabwe GREAT again'. Could it be this simple?
1. Identify an existing need in the community.
2. Organize around the need.
3. Build value through focused and directed action steps.
4 . Legitimize your value.
5. Define your value preposition and what you need to unlock the stored value
6. Be Accountable.
Well done girls. Thank you for showing us that the potential is within us and that we must all play our active and focused part to unleash it. Perhaps this is the reminder we all needed!
**************about the authors*************
Mantate and Chenesai are 2 of the 16 plus million citizens of Zimbabwe who believe that Zimbabwe and all in it can prosper if we actively and deliberately play our roles to unlock its potential. We believe that civil society can work to store value which value can be the foundation for sustainable change within our nation. We actively love Zimbabwe.
“We are the ones we have been waiting for”
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