Tendai Rupapa

Discipline, hard work and focus are critical elements that everyone should possess to lead a respectable life, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has said.

She made the remarks at a Career Guidance, Grooming and Stay in School session for learners drawn from all the country’s provinces who are at the First Lady’s National Boys Camp where a cocktail of educative programmes are lined up.

Practitioners in various fields like pilots, doctors, nurses, teachers, the police, lawyers, the army, engineers, and farmers told the learners what was required to join their fields. They allowed them to ask questions in a lively interactive session.

The Mother of the Nation, who is staying with the children for the camp, is equipping them with life skills for them to be better people tomorrow.

When the children woke up in the morning, the First Lady taught them how to spread their beds and clean their rooms.

After these chores, the boys proceeded to do morning exercises before taking their baths and being served a mouthwatering breakfast by the Mother of the Nation.

After eating, the boys cleaned their utensils and mopped the floors as they were taught by the First Lady the previous day.

They later gathered for a morning devotion led by Chaplain Christine Phiri the Chief Correctional Officer for the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).

Chaplin Phiri hammered on the fifth Commandment which says “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Dr Mnangagwa enjoined the children to embrace the teachings they were receiving and share them with their peers back home.

“My sons, you came here to be transformed into new souls and I urge you to share with your peers at school so that you grow up well-cultured.

“It is critical to respect elders even if they are not your biological parents. Children from this camp are expected to remain respectful and humble. May the Lord intervene so that you remain good children because in Proverbs 22 verse 6, the Bible says: “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

“This is what prompted us to be here so that you learn the way you should go,” she said to applause.

The mother of the nation gave the children a list of teachings ahead.

“Today we have many programmes. We have career guidance, grooming and stay in school among other programmes lined up.

“There are professionals from various fields who will show you what you are capable of doing after school. It is your day to know about career guidance so that you are empowered to know what to study in school.

“A profession is pursued by a child who is disciplined, does not consume intoxicating substances and does not steal.

“It is the teachings you will receive here that will help you to be well-mannered and humble children. As mothers, we only wish that you succeed in life,” she said.

“I want you to listen attentively and be participative, asking questions so that it builds you starting from even the selection of subjects that you are going to study and that you are going to pursue.

“It starts from the level where you are now. Its different from all other days when we were at school, this one should be a memorable event because it has brought you together, 10 provinces where now you have made friends, now you know each other and you came to learn and train to do some chores,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa showered the learners with words of praise and implored them to embrace all the teachings they were receiving.

“I was very happy seeing you cutting vegetables, seeing you cleaning the places that you use for eating, utensils that you use. I want this to continue even if you go back home.

“That’s what you are going to be doing; that’s the life that you are going to lead I want you to shock your mother to say is this Joseph who is doing this now in the house?

“Your life is being transformed. You are educated in so many things. Education is not in school only, but around you, there is something to learn.

“Here you came to learn and you received the learning. Through what I saw yesterday, everybody was learning so carefully. Everybody was asking questions. You told me the stories about how you went about slaughtering the goats in the Gota.

The mother of the nation implored the children to make wise choices and learn with all their might.

“You came here to be taught so that you appreciate where fatherhood starts from and for you to choose your profession. We stress it upon you boys to choose your career wisely because you are the ones who provide for the family.

“You are the heads of households. You are the ones who will perform most of the duties in the country as boys and fathers of households, isn’t it? The responsibility that you were talking about yesterday. You have to be responsible in all that you do that brings life, that brings a smile to your children.

“All it requires is your commitment and hard work in school.”

Mr Leonard Madzivanzira from ZPCS praised the First Lady for her educative programme which was bearing fruit.

“Amai, your programme is already bearing fruit. During the agricultural show in Bindura there was a stampede at our stand as young people sought to know the entry requirements.

“They said they saw us on television during Your career guidance programme. As ZPCS, we are there to protect you. Whoever breaks the law is brought to ZPCS for rehabilitation,” he said.

To join, one has to be between 18 and 30 years of age including English.

“Our job requires good morals and one has to have a positive attitude towards his/her country. You also have to desist from taking drugs because on recruitment we do health checks.”

He gave an example of a boy who was jailed for killing his family members while intoxicated.

He said the boy would have hallucinations because of drugs and killed his family members saying he was seeing “tokoloshis” (goblins), showing the bad effects of drug abuse.

Chief correctional officer Chaplain Christine Phiri gave a presentation with a lighter feel, much to the delight of learners.

“At ZPCS we are not “jeri guards” but we are correctional officers. The word jail guard is ancient. At ZPCS they also recruit women meaning there is gender balance. Female correctional officers are the ones who look after female prisoners. You also rise through the ranks if you work hard despite being a man or a woman,” she said.

The benefits for correctional officers, she said, include free uniforms, free accommodation, right to maternity leave, commissioners goodwill fund which caters for children of deceased prison officers and a pension fund. She said in ZPCS there are many professions like teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, drivers and lawyers among many others.

Doctor Gladman Mbonani spoke about the requirements for one to join the health sector.

“To be a doctor you should be trustworthy, disciplined and uphold the ethics of confidentiality. If you are ill-mannered and take drugs you cannot be a doctor. You should understand how people live and the differences in beliefs because some believe in traditional ways of treatment.

“If a person comes to you and then consults traditional healers, you have to understand them. For you to be a doctor, you must pass from Grade 7.

“For Advanced Level, you need to study pure sciences and score 15 points. During our time, we only had the University of Zimbabwe medical school and the competition was high. I want to thank the Second Republic because we now have four medical schools,” he said.

A representative of the police force gave insights into what was expected of prospective officers, including discipline.

In a bid to warn learners about the dangers of taking drugs, police demonstrated how they arrest offenders found with mbanje in their pockets.

A police representative said to join the force, one required five Ordinary Level passes including science and English and had to be aged between 18 and 22 years. The recruitment was advertised in the print and electronic media.

“We do not want headmasters to say, if this child wants to join the police force, you can consider him at your own risk. It means if we recruit that child, we will be recruiting a rogue element into the organisation. There are communities where people dabble in drugs, but the child will be excelling in school to the point of acquiring degrees.

“However, the home where he comes from is the headquarters of drug abuse. If we recruit that child, even the whole organization will be a headquarters of drugs.

“That means that particular child is not suitable. At your schools, some learners steal and you shudder to think what the challenge will be. We also go to your former school to ask about your behaviour during your school days.

“We know schools have a black book, have you ever heard about it? This is where all your misdemeanours are listed.

“When we visit the school, we give the headmaster a questionnaire to tell us about your character. The teacher or headmaster will then write to say this person has a record of stealing at school, you can employ him at your own risk.

Now do you see that even at the schools where you did your primary or secondary education your history will follow you.

You will be a changed person seeking a job and that is where you will see that association with others does not help at all.

Before we employ you, we will also visit the place where you once worked to hear what the employer will be saying.

?We will give the employer a questionnaire to tell us how you worked during your period of employment. This means if we employ such a character in the force, he will be induced with a bribe to set free an offending person,” he said.

The police representative said, “You must follow these teachings strictly to the letter if you want to wear this uniform.

“The manners we are learning here are the same ones expected of a policeman. Let me give you the other benefits associated with being a policeman.

“All those benefits as mentioned by the personnel from ZPCS are also found in the police force. Free uniform, free accommodation, free medical and dental treatment, and educational opportunities. All the professions you heard here are there in the police force. The sky is the limit in terms of education as you can go up to Master’s level and to peacekeeping missions.

Mr Charles Manhiri, a lawyer in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, gave the learners insights into what one required to be a lawyer, magistrate, judge or public prosecutor.

He mentioned good communication skills and discipline as part of them.

In addition to the general University requirements, a candidate must have three good ‘A’ level passes and at least five ‘O’ level passes including English Language with at least a B grade to be admitted into the LLB (Hons) programme.

Nurses were also represented including a farmer Mr Taurai Mutisi who said farmers must work hard and ensure they do not take shortcuts to attain high yields and generate good income from their operations.

“Agriculture is very broad as we have people doing a lot of things like agro-processing and engineering. Most professions are found in agriculture.

“We are the mother of all battles. The war of the stomach is ended by us. The war for good health is solved by us. Good mental alertness comes from agriculture. To be able to fly a plane, we are there for you. You can take any other profession but at the end of the day be a farmer,” he said to applause.

Dancehall star Kelvin Kusikwenyu, stage name Killer T, wowed the children during his presentation where he started singing the song “Kana Ndanyura”.

“Hongu tinonetsana pakaita anouya achipindira pakati, kutanga kumarana, chishuvo chavo kutiona tichinetsana bhebhi, zvobva zvaita Seiko, unoda ndiite Seiko? Ndanga ndiri mulove wani parudo munoziva ndiri makuruwani,” he sang.

“When you were asked as to what you want to do I heard some saying they aspire to be doctors but none said they want to be musicians. Do you think it’s bad to be a singer? However, singing requires one to first complete school. You first finish your academic studies because if you start dealing with guitars while at school you clash with your parents. Education is the pathway to everywhere we want to go. After learning, you must respect your parents so that you progress well. Respect all elders. To reach my level or do much better, you do not need to take drugs. Never be intoxicated. Once you take drugs, they will take you nowhere. Drugs kill your career and future. To sing good songs you must stay away from drugs. You need discipline and respect,” he said before singing “Takangodaro.”

Major Stanely Chirimuuta the Career Guidance Officer for Mashonaland West Province said the army had all professions.

“We have all the professions you may think of from pilots in the Air Force. You must know that the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe we are twins who are in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. All you get in ZNA, you also get in the Air Force. To join the army, you must have passed your studies be it Ordinary Level or Advanced Level. If you went to university, you are also welcome. You should however be physically and mentally fit. This means there is a weight and height we expect. Your brains must be working well. We will know this after asking you to run 10km as boys in 50 minutes and girls in 60 minutes. If you do this without fainting, we then embrace you and you will rise through the ranks. The army also sends you to school to further your studies,” he said.

Teachers came with bragging rights for having groomed all professions.

“I am sure you heard all people who were presenting here. All of them, in whose hands did they come from?” and the learners shouted teacher.

“The teaching profession is the grandfather, it’s the father of all professions. Why do we say that? First and foremost, teachers are the ones who open our brains. They make us able to read and write. We heard that people will do all the other jobs and it is the teacher who identifies the potential in all the learners. He helps in the identification of the learners so that we learn what each learner is capable of doing and we help the child to make the correct decision. It is said that 75 percent of adults are in wrong careers because as teachers we did not help them well. Teaching is the father and mother of all professions. Even here, our First Lady saw it fit to go around teaching you children good manners because she realizes that teaching is the greatest of all. She is teaching our children good manners and skills. How do we join the teaching profession? To be teachers we need a kind heart, patience, a long heart because some children are troublesome and their parents are happy to send them to school,” said a representative of the teaching profession.

A pilot threw in a joke when he said: “We always hear people saying the sky is the limit. But we say the sky is our home.

“How many of us want to fly the President? The Government has entrusted me with a helicopter today and you can only be trusted with that when you are disciplined, when you are mentally fit. Can we say the First Lady will say I am entering a plane being flown by one of the learners here who will be high on drugs. Is that possible? But for her to trust you, you must be disciplined and shun drugs. A plane needs a person who is sober and fit,” he said.

The children were shown a helicopter and how it operates while asking questions to the pilots.

One of the learners said he aspired to be a President one day whereupon Mr Manhiri advised him that one has to be 40 years of age and above.

The First Lady weighed in saying those who take drugs and are indisciplined cannot be Presidents.

She warned the children against being involved in drug and substance abuse and to read a lot if they entertained the idea of becoming future leaders. She also shared with the learners, the qualities of President Mnangagwa.

“He is a person who reads a lot, reading has no limit or age. He reads and refers to books, but he does not take drugs even a cigarette. He doesn’t take alcohol. If you aspire to be a President, apart from education you have to have ubuntu first so that you are not found in all these things that destroy yourself and your future.

I have met this question so many times each time I go out to the children. So many of you want to become Presidents. You don’t study to be a President, No. It comes maybe with the country’s constitution or election. People look at what type of a person you are before voting for you. I am just telling you the type of person President Mnangagwa is. He didn’t even apply to become a President. You don’t apply to be a President, do you? Being a President also comes out of all these careers and professions that you heard,” she said.

The First Lady said if the children follow what they were being taught, they would succeed.

“If you do all these things that were being said by your brothers and sisters like being disciplined, all these things can make you become a President. Shun drugs, shun being intoxicated, shun bad things,” she said.

The children were also given a chance to ask questions and were responded to by the many practitioners who were present.

After the career guidance session, the boys had to showcase their culinary skills through baking cornbread (chimodho).

Professional Chef Mr Koke Thomas Gamani led the children through the baking process.

He also told them what is needed for one to become a professional chef. – Herald