A majority of the escapees from the hard pressing and grinding scorgies of the economic down turn coupled with unrepentant political squeeze did not realise how their so called timidy run away would turn out to be part of the rescue plan on the beautiful motherland.
Many saw from afar the churning and swirling wave of uncertainty driving a huge wave of turmoil and trouble. Some even got so frustrated that they swam through the crocodile infested Limpopo with flooding banks splashing across the borders of the beloved nation.
It was a time of dispair but those that escaped to the so called greener pastures turned out to be the supporting machine to the critically ill economy.
The diaspora dispersed into their various destinations, be it the UK, Australia, USA or even South Africa with the hope of making a significant lump some then go back to motherland. Most conversations were of when one would return and with what! These are the same people who in their sleepless toil made a change on the dying ecnomy.
They became the rescue point for those left behind especially when the then dollar kept dwindling and refusing to maintain its value even for a day.
Money transfer urgencies errupted like a flood of mushrooms and this really made a living particularly for the less previledged and disadvantaged who on some days did not know where their next meal was coming from.
The disapora, yes, most of them really worked harder to facilitate a living on both ends, "home and away". On the one hand there was a time whereby those at home appeared more well up than the "diasporan" due to some discrepances in the management of the sent resources.
Though not everybody was untrustworthy but there were those that really abused the opportunity and support from the labourers of the foreign land.
On one of my return journeys home I was surprised to see some of the latest makes of car driving down some of the then potholed roads patched with gravel.
It was the diaspora once again that provided fuel, groceries, vehicles, haulage, taxis (combi) and the like. The diaspora was surely strategically placed to provide for the desperate and agonising friends and relatives.
This is not to say that everybody was terribly suffering. As I have aready mentioned above some were living above the general population struggle for surviuval. These had their own level of difficulties either because they owned campanies or had developed good effective networking.
Diaspora, keep on with the sustanance of our nation. Now it is not onlyu about financial or material support but more so the skills and knowledge transfer. It is now time to contextualise whatever knowledge base accumilated in order to develop a new Zimbabwe.
The new constitution allows for dual citizenship, therefore the opportunity is open for effective establishment of business and nation building. Disporan, the responsibility remains that everybody should take up this challenge for such a time as this.
