The Sunday News
WRITER Aastha Giri says discipline is a primary part of behaviour and is following a systematic set of instructions. In other words, it is a process, undertaken during craft, trade or other activity for the intention of expecting a predictable output. In other words, discipline is order.
All the heavenly bodies follow definite rules in order to function. The seasons come and go, following a defined pattern. A slight shift or indiscipline will cause confusions in this well-planned natural system. Similarly, discipline in our individual lives is the top requirement for our society to sustain, he adds.
On many occasions, we have been told that discipline is the mother of success. A person without discipline is like an
“Indian curry without masala”. In simple terms, discipline or norms affect human affairs. One writer gave an example: “If everyone is asked to keep to the left of the road and if people follow it then they are disciplined, and there are likely to be fewer chances of traffic accidents or disruptions.”
Giri goes on,” There can’t be a better example of a disciplined organisation than our body. How the various parts and organs of our body function is something wonderful to evaluate; it is a marvel of discipline. So we can easily say that the end product of discipline is efficiency; whether it is the body of an individual or the conduct of a larger group of people, there must be discipline.”
What we get from the above sentiments is that discipline brings a positive outcome, and no wonder President Mugabe has always implored Zimbabweans and Zanu PF members in particular to be disciplined. Without discipline, there is no order. Without order, there is no unity and without unity, there is no success.
“I call for greater discipline in the party. Disciplined cadres will always respect party hierarchy. There is order in the party… We have seen lower organs and junior members challenging superiors appointed by the party to lead them.
Such acts amount to insubordination and indeed a challenge to authority,” President Mugabe said sometime last year.
However, we note that despite pleas from the President for party cadres to remain disciplined and united along the party ideals and programmes, there are some cadres who cross the line, and need to be reminded now and again that they must follow party rules and procedures and conduct themselves in a dignified manner all the time.
Events that took place last week point to indiscipline among some party members and like the acting Zanu PF chairman of the Midlands province, Cde Jorum Gumbo said, such behaviour tarnishes the image of the party and must be stopped forthwith.
We are referring here to events that took place in Gweru ahead of the Zanu PF Midlands Youth League inter-district meeting where riot police had to be called in to bring order after rival groups engaged in nasty fights ahead of the meeting. We reported that tensions exploded during the meeting with some youths engaging in scuffles after they formed small groups and tried to prevent each other from entering the venue. Police in anti-riot combat had to be called in to control the youths resulting in the meeting being delayed from 10am to 2pm.
Midlands Zanu-PF acting chairman and National Secretary for Education Cde Gumbo condemned the youths’ behaviour and vowed to discipline the perpetrators.
“I am embarrassed with the behaviour that you have exhibited today. The worst part of it is that you did it right in front of our guests. We had to call the police to restore order here as if we are not peaceful people. We have the names of the perpetrators and we will discipline them. Whoever was causing chaos is anti-President and Zanu-PF. Do not come here to cause violence.”
In another incident, in Masvingo last Sunday, a provincial meeting was nearly abandoned after provincial youth secretary for legal affairs Cde Henry Chinovava was allegedly assaulted by ward seven chairperson Cde Paul Zimharo for chanting a slogan in support of First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe. Cde Zimharo allegedly beat up Cde Chinovava for chanting: “Viva Dr Grace Mugabe” at the meeting. Zanu PF provincial chairman Cde Amasa Nhenjana confirmed the incident.
We implore party cadres to go back to the ideals of the party as expounded by President Mugabe, shun hooliganism and instead, debate in a civil manner and work towards the betterment of the lives of all Zimbabweans by making sure that energies are channeled towards party and Government development programmes.
We also want to remind party cadres that discipline was key in bringing freedom to this country and the entire African continent. They owe it to the founding fathers of the liberation of this country to remain disciplined so as to carry forward the values and ethos of the great liberation movements that changed the balance of power in favour of those who were oppressed by colonial regimes.
