Ignorance and Tolerance Theresa Sanyatwe life and the destruction of property
self-consciousness as well as respect for
due to differences in political views
others and oneself. Differences should
of
and opinions.” It is unfortunate that
be seen as a botanic garden with multiple
intellectual and moral ignorance inflame
intolerance continues to thrive in our
plant varieties which give different
intolerance in the political and social sphere
country to this day. Anyone who presents
fragrances and yet all trees, despite their
in Zimbabwe. The ignorance is nurtured
different views/ideas is easily perceived
differences in shape and size, still coexist
by the false notion that democracy means
and labelled as unpatriotic, a dissident,
in harmony and peace with one another.
that, ‘my ignorance is just as good as your
a sell-out, a rebel or even a terrorist.
Zimbabwe should draw some lessons
knowledge’ (David C. De Witt, Ignorance
Both the ruling party and opposition
from the harmony of various species
is not bliss: The dangerous politics of anti-
exhibit intolerance within their ranks.
in nature. In the face of food insecurity,
intellectualism, January 16, 2020). The
In his speech to a group from the Simon
it is pathetic to notice that there are still
danger of intellectual and moral ignorance
Wiesenthal Center in Rome in October
politicians who play intolerant partisan
is that some political and societal leaders
2013, Pope Francis said: “Whenever any
politics in the distribution of food aid
have become, borrowing DeWitt’s words,
minority is persecuted and marginalised
that has been bought either by tax payers’
a kind of ‘folk heroes’ for our people, who
because of its religious convictions or
money or donated by friendly countries
believe everything they say despite their
ethnic
affiliation)
or local well-wishers. Distribution of
staggering record of lying thousands upon
the wellbeing of society as a whole is
food aid on the basis of party affiliation
thousands of times about both the most
endangered and each one of us must feel
is a clear instance of intolerance and
ridiculous and the most important types of
affected… let us combine our efforts
demonstration of moral bankruptcy. M.
things. This is the consequence of a society
in promoting a culture of encounter,
Chingono’s research on the Politics of
that allows facts to become subjective.
respect,
mutual
food aid distribution at grassroots in
Freire, P. (Pedagogy of the oppressed,
forgiveness”. Pope Francis suggested
Zimbabwe (2019) shows that the selection
1970) notes that people who present
that the most effective antidote to every
of food aid recipients is not always based
themselves as defenders of freedom give
form of violence, intellectual and moral
on the “poorest and most vulnerable”
their doubts and misgivings an air of
ignorance which inflame intolerance in
principle as espoused by the donors but
profound sobriety as befitting custodians
our societies today is holistic education,
it is oftentimes determined by the village
of freedom. Yet by so doing they threaten
which develops the awakening of not
or area politics of kinship, alliances and
freedom itself. Guerrero (2007, p.71)
only the mind but of the heart and the
power. The politics of who should get
argues that moral ignorance can never be
soul as well. A holistic education awakens
the aid, when and how can be solved by
T
he
causes
and
the
dangers
identity,
(political
understanding
and
excused because the moral truth is always accessible. Seeing wrong things happening in society and keeping quiet is inexcusable. The Pastoral Letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) of May 2001 points out that, “… in a society such as ours, which is multi-cultural and multi-racial, we will always differ in opinions, and therefore we call upon every citizen to exercise a very high degree of tolerance. The lack of this tolerance is clearly evidenced by the violence that continues to grip our country…We have witnessed with sadness the loss of human Mukai - Vukani No.78 | October 2020 |
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