"All our institutions are directed to work together to combat the scourge of corruption.
"Unorthodox means and name-dropping to gain access to our resources will never be tolerated. The law must take its course to entrench transparency and accountability necessary for building a healthy investment climate."
These were the words of His Excellency President Mnangagwa as he set the Cabinet agenda last year.
Recent events brought this warning to mind and indeed, it still stands.
In Zimbabwe, name-dropping has become a ubiquitous phenomenon, permeating various aspects of society.
From casual conversations to business meetings, political gatherings, and even social media posts, individuals frequently mention prominent figures or associations to bolster their credibility, gain favour, or impress others.
Name-dropping is not harmless, we have already seen its consequences in cases that the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (ZACC) is seized with.
I will avoid commenting directly on the case under investigation, but will cover general policy, cultural, historical and psychological issues and its associated negative traits.
Name-dropping is not unique to Zimbabwe, but the country's history, politics and social dynamics have created a fertile ground for this behaviour to flourish.
The practice has become a reflex, often used to compensate for a lack of substance, achievement, or genuine connections. By invoking the names of influential individuals or organisations, people seek to ride on their coattails, hoping to gain recognition, access, prestige or connections.
In politics, name-dropping is a common tactic used to curry favour with powerful figures or to demonstrate proximity to the seat of power.
Some individuals claim associations with high-ranking officials or war veterans to legitimise their own political aspirations or business ventures.
This culture of name-dropping has led to a proliferation of "connected" individuals who leverage their perceived relationships to secure Government contracts, loans, or other benefits.
In the business world, name-dropping is employed to build credibility, attract investors, or secure partnerships. Entrepreneurs and executives often mention their alleged connections to prominent business leaders, politicians or international organisations to bolster their reputation and gain an advantage over competitors.
On social media, name-dropping has become a form of virtual currency, used to accumulate likes, comments, and followers. This has emanated from the monetisation of digital platforms, which is enabled by social media algorithm systems that disseminate digital content and advertisement depending on one's activities.
So for one to be able to monetise their platform, they should build a decent following. And for one to build a decent following, they need to have clout. And for one to have clout they should be connected in a way that attracts an audience.
There is a competition for audiences out there.
A photo taken with a popular person goes a long way to validate the account holder as a person of clout.
People now share photos or mentions of famous individuals, claiming friendships or collaborations that may not exist.
This online posturing perpetuates a culture of superficiality, where the appearance of success and connections act as substitutes for genuine achievement.
Senior Government officials are now ambivalent when asked for selfies by members of the public because nobody is really clear what that photo will be used for.
Zimbabwe has managed to create a massive density of content creators who compete for legitimacy in our relatively small population, which of course, includes the Diaspora. There is hunger for following someone who is considered "an insider" or the man.
Nothing appears to legitimise someone more than a picture with someone high up in Government, more so, a picture taken with the President of the Republic! How about a picture taken with the President having breakfast? We have seen these privileged moments splashed all over the place.
We happen to have an accessible and humble President who believes his office comes with the responsibility of seeing Zimbabweans at their request. So he does see a lot of us and has no problem with having a photo or two taken with him once in a while.
It is the clout chasers who abuse these privileged moments through the misuse of these photos.
The President is caught between a rock and a hard place. He genuinely loves the people he leads, but the iniquitous actions of some will make him appear aloof if he starts rejecting selfie or photo opportunity requests.
This is just not natural to him.
The message here is very clear, clout chasers and name-droppers, please desist. As a people, as a Government and as a country, we do not want outrageous influencer behaviour around our President.
He is the embodiment of our sovereignty and nationhood. He has a great brand and those who are not brand safe should seek validation through other means. This is a no go. But how did we even get here?
The roots of name-dropping in Zimbabwe can be traced back to the country's history of colonial rule.
During the colonial era, association with British officials or institutions was a mark of status and privilege. We had what can be called some "Master" or "Missus" behaviour which was associated with those blacks doing it feeling that they had "arrived" and society gave its tacit consent by validating them through respect.
During the colonial era, the British established a system of governance that immortalised patronage, cronyism and elitism.
Our people have been psychologically damaged, and it is being handed to the next generations by their forerunners.
This is not normal behaviour and whoever is name-dropping must be suffering from some post-colonialism trauma or they inherited this annoying sign of inadequacy from their parents or society.
This elite often used their connections to maintain their position and status, perpetuating a culture of name-dropping to reinforce their ties to power.
The only difference is now we also have a lot of photos to use in the authentication of those claims.
We need to draw a line under this pervasive culture where name-dropping has become a means to access resources, favours and protection.
Yes, we did not start it, but not enough has been done to curb it, or at the very least, curtail it.
I am arguing that it is self-perpetuating because it has been found to work.
People raid other people's mine claims on the strength of mentioning the names of the powerful or connected.
They invade other people's land on the strength of a powerful association. Those who fall victim to this should never give up on their rights on the strength of the mention of a powerful name, unless they themselves are criminals and it is a situation of a connected criminal versus a less powerfully connected one.
Yes, colonialism imposed Western values, including the importance of connections and networking on us, but we can surely reject this vice by rendering it ineffective and showing repulsion and revulsion to it.
We allowed this cultural assimilation which has led to a shift away from traditional values of community and merit, towards a culture that values individual connections and associations.
Clearly, the culture of name-dropping reflects a deeper psychological need for validation and recognition. We cannot allow a culture where individuals seek security and prestige through associations with powerful figures or institutions.
By linking themselves to successful or influential people, Zimbabweans hope to tap into their perceived success, stability and legitimacy. That is a hollow state of affairs for us allow our country to be known for.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The culture of name-dropping has several negative consequences.
We have already seen some of this where people that were not part of a tender to supply election materials managed to somehow insert themselves in the transaction as influence peddlers and reaped undeserved financial rewards from it.
We are witnessing the perpetuation of a culture of superficiality, where appearances matter more than substance.
We are seeing the reinforcement of cronyism and patronage, undermining meritocracy and genuine achievement.
Name-dropping is creating a false sense of security, distracting individuals from building meaningful relationships, developing their skills and creating value.
It behoves you and I to break this cycle.
Zimbabweans must recognise the value of hard work and innovation.
We must celebrate achievements over associations and promote a culture of substance over superficiality.
By doing so, we can build a society that values merit, creativity, and collaboration, rather than relying on name dropping as a shortcut to success.
This is what has created tenderprenueurs who create no value, no employment nor material, but peddle names around on their way to hijacking major contracts because someone is lazy, or does not care or is too scared to verify.
Let me conclude by saying, name-dropping in Zimbabwe is a symptom of a deeper issue -- a culture of superficiality, cronyism, and a longing for validation.
By acknowledging and addressing these underlying dynamics, we can create a society that values genuine relationships, innovation and hard work.
Only then, can we build a Zimbabwe that is founded on substance, rather than mere associations, or the peddling of assumed associations.
