Work ethics for development

Someone commented in the Nation newspaper that the Japanese contractors working on the Masauko Chipembere Highway have some unbelievable working rate, spirit and energy. They have been working tirelessly on this project, consistently, continuously and on schedule with some envious time precision. I cannot agree more with the commentator as I also looked in bemusement at how people with two hands just like us can work so adorably. These people have admirable work ethics.

Have you ever wondered why so many Malawian workers appear unwilling to work? This is evidenced by how much we crave for holidays and office absenteeism. If the rain falls too heavily or it is very cold/hot we want to stay at home. I tried to verify my suspicion by visiting doors of offices/businesses, which had clearly published operating hours of 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Most of the offices/businesses (almost 97%) I knocked on their doors at the dot of the said time were either not open or not ready. I also tried to go there at say five minutes to knocking off time and your guess is as good as mine, they were closed to business. We should learn to love our work and contribute to developing Malawi. It is a necessary ingredient to the development recipe.
But why do we Malawians have such poor work ethic? The answer may be difficult to find out. May be what I see as a somewhat "laissez-faire" attitude towards work is, as some expert at St Mary’s University said, "…a culmination of the impact of psychological, social, cultural, political and economic phenomena coupled with time and space.” To be frank though, there is need to study this issue as a matter of great importance in the context of national productivity with specific reference to our economic survival in this generation. To simply introduce concrete infrastructure as part of a development thrust without addressing this problem, will only accelerate the daunting prospect of an economic collapse.
Why should our engineers take long to finish their projects or the mechanic take long to fix a car’s problem or a policeman harass you instead of protecting you? While there are many factors that impinge on how Malawians work, I believe that the psychological effects of the colonial experience, is perhaps the most crucial variable in explaining our current work ethic. We always treat each with suspicion because the colonial masters instilled in us that we should not believe and respect each other’s ability rather it was the “big boss” who knew everything. Such mentality is what has breed corruption to its current levels. We should believe in ourselves and know that in our own little way we are contributing to development by working very hard. It is obvious that I cannot give an exhaustive exposition of the psychological effects of the colonial period in this article. I would simply be happy if you would appreciate the relevance and importance of this issue.
I know Malawians are not lazy because there good working ethics are reportedly good outside Malawi (South African and Zimbabwean mines are good examples). Coupled with improving our work ethics should be improved working conditions, opportunities, and wages, but most of all, a concerted effort to eradicate the negative effects of the mistrust legacy. Such as I see it, is an issue of national importance in the context of national survival. We can learn from the work ethics of the Japanese contractors on Masauko Chipembere Highway.

......to be continued.