Mthwakazi

Most commentetors have been alluding to the crisis of brain drain that has afflicted Zimbabwe since the mass-exodus of largely skilled personnel from the God-forsaken country.

My question on this matter is;
is there such a thing as brain drain koMthwakazi given that
> there has over the years been an observed systematic stifling of any meaningful talent (in whatever form) that emerges from elomntakaMatshobana. does ukusuka ekhaya usiyazithuthukisa kwezinye indawo constitute brain drain in a scenario where staying put yields no rewards especially for those of us abakoMthwakazi?

>could we talk of brain waste in reference to sitting around ekhaya, underemployed (and in most cases unemployed), underpaid, and demotivated kulokuthi uye somewhere lapho one can put their resources to better/more productive use? and for that matter, could brain waste be used to refer to all of us who in different ways are busy making sure ukuthi economies of other countries stay robust elethu ilizwe lifadalala?

>or can we think of it as brain curculation in relation to ukuthi where ever one is, there is usually a contribution eyenzakalayo, be it to the community lowomuntu akiyo, or

more importantly, because of the increasing prominence of ama-remittances, are we still in a position to speak about drain drain when in fact the same people abasukayo ekhaya have kept the economy from collapsing ngokuthumela izigidi lezigidi zezimali le-property and to some extent le-technology that has meant ukuthi uMthwakazi stays somewhat abreast lomhlaba jikelele (even in the absence of positive economic growth)

Does it matter that much ukuthi singaphi komhlaba if a good number of us has kept links (socially, economically, etc) with families back home. What does uMthwakazi think of brain drain, brain waste and brain circulation?

Definetly brain circulation, like most things in life, l would like to think that we can safely sum up this situation as a case of, do the pro's outweigh the cons?

personally l think that we as uMthwakazi stand to reap the rewards as we have been exposed to other well developed societies and will one day God permitting, bring back the experience and skills we have acquired over the years, and these will be used for the betterment of our society. lt is sad and unfortunate that we did not "necessarily" have a choice in the matter ie. staying at home or leaving, but l think a lot of good will come out from all this, if not, at least l learnt a couple languages in my lifetime and l got to make some money in the process







A means to an end, just a means to an end!

The technical definition of brain drain is the migration of skilled (either through training or God given) and talented individuals in search of higher wages and or living standards outside their native country. Skilled and talented individuals would include engineers, accountants, economists, lawyers, nurses, teachers, scientists, doctors, pharmacists and physiotherapists. This list is by no means exhaustive- there are other professions and trades that not been mentioned.
Getting and educations or training in a trade or skill is, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, like a promissory note, a cheque that one would want to cash at the end of one's training or education. Now in banana republics and basket cases of much of sub-Saharan Africa including Zimbabwe once you have acquired that education and you attempt to cash that cheque the note cames back marked "insufficient funds". Thus you cannot cash that cheque and you are condemned to a life of squalor and poverty.
Is there such a thing a brain drain koMthwakazi - without a doubt- in this august forum there are many here whose professions are amongst the list above. A significant proportion of those were educated kwaMgodoyi others yet still have taken advantage of opportunities hithero unavailable to them in lands where they now lay their hats.
Who benefits from this brain drain- it is primarily the nations in which the sons and daughters of Mthwakazi have migrated to. Yes there are remittances back to the motherland and in that respect there are rewards but on the balance of probability the motherland looses more than what it gains in money, if there are no doctors who will tend to the sick? If there are not enough teachers who will teach, nurture and mentor the children who, after all are the future, if all the aircraft engineers have emigrated who will repair the aircraft and most importantly who wil ride in those planes? Moreover remittances to Mgodoyiland minght have well stopped the economy from completely collapsing but they (the remittances) have not lead to wealth creation- kwaMgodoyi- there has been no significant job creation and thus there is little if any contribution to development ( including building capacity and infrastructure.

That said another element of the exodus from Zimbabwe is it is not just the skilled and the talented that have up and left. Ordinary folks, honest Joes who without neccessarily having any skills or training ot talents have also found that they cannot stand the heat in that kitchen. and who can blame them - the Soul Brothers have a song Ngubani ongameli 'ndlala . This type of migration is often referred to as the brawn drain. In the melting pot that is Inkundla we see this type here - idonsa nge farasi complicating debates and muddying the waters with their often wild, weird and wonderful ideas. It is this type of migration that is anathema to the political classes of many of the Western countries - hence the introductions of point systems of migration in the UK and the long operation of such systems (Australia, Canada and others). all these systems are designed to keep the "great unwashed" from the shores of the "heavens on earth".

I do not think Mthwakazi qualifies for 'brain drain' which I define as "A brain drain or human capital flight is an emigration of trained and talented individuals ("human capital") to other nations or jurisdictions, due to conflicts, lack of opportunity, health hazards where they are living or other reasons. It parallels the term "capital flight" which refers to financial capital that is no longer invested in the country where its owner lived and earned it. Investment in higher education is lost when a trained individual leaves and does not return." Our situation can be better described as a waste of human brain. Take for example the youth that has flooded SA borders unskilled and resort to minial jobs and crime. What will happen to these people if one day they decide to go home. They are going to breed criminals. This thing is a time and suicide bomb to Mthwakazi. What's the solution?

Hlongamvula –
I think that you are both wrong and mistaken in the gist of your argument above
Are teachers not trained?
Are nurses not trained
Are doctors not trained?
Are engineers not trained?
Are lawyers not trained?
Are architects not trained?
Are pharmacists not trained?
Are accountants to trained?
Are artisans not trained?
Aren’t these and other countless professions not fleeing Zimbabwe including Mthwakazi for better opportunities elsewhere – eGoli, USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and far flung places such as China, Malaysia and Singapore. How do these people trained in these professions not fit into Wikipedia derived (but unacknowledged) definition that you have used?

The problem that you refer to of youths streaming into South Africa and some of them engaging in crime is one the readily falls into the definition of brawn drain as these particular individuals have no skills nor training that would allow them to acquire jobs and careers.
The factors affecting the flight of both professionals and the brawn are essentially the same; lack of opportunity in the mother country. How then do you address the problem- you obviously need to look at the root cause/s and address them. One of the root causes is bad governance, lack of democracy and an environment that does not encourage investment