African professionalism, mostly an illusion phenomena

Practically professionalism is sacred; it entails moving extra mile in delivering goods and services. It does not only consist of greedy way of making money, nor does it exist on wearing expensive suits, or driving flush car, or applying exotic perfumes. One is not called a professional simply because of his fluency on foreign language, as some idiots seem to suggest.

A truly professional person think outside the box when delivering goods and services.He/she is a servant not a master. If this person is a teacher, his sole goal is to ensure that students passes exams, if this person is a driver, his ultimate goal is to ensure that passengers reaches their destination safely and comfortably. Likewise politicians too are professionals at their own right. We expect them to lead the way and not cheat the electorates.

In most of African countries ( well africa south of sahara), modern professionalism is alien; only recently imported from western world. A century ago, in Africa, teachers existed but not in a formal way but informal circumustances. By then teachers were referred to as appretinces delivering practical lessons to ever eager students that molded them to value driven adults.

Africa had its own indegenious leaders who were greatly envied by sons and daughters. Naturally these leaders were professional in totality, serving their subjects honestly, diligently and immaculately. Leaders delivered social decisions by consensus not by dictation. Even 'judges' were highly respected and not giving verdict while bending on materialistic considerations. Oh, yes, our ancestors had medicine men who were not delivering their service depending on monetary terms, but purely as a social responsibility.

The emergence of money economy has distorted the all meaning of professionalism. Now especially in Africa, cash determines ones access to basic good and services. A patient can not receive basic medical care without money, rule of law can not be applied without money, at worse even church leaders bend their sacred rules in favourwealthy sons of God. It seems every one is chasing money thus erasing professionalism. A 'daladala' driver as he speeds to take a next passenger passes a red light only to bribe a policeman on the next stop; a nurse ignores a patient with no cash, and a policeman poses on our roads waiting for cash from drivers who may commit shoddy traffic offence. Ironically in Dar Police officers are called 'wazee wa fedha' and no one finds this as an insult to a noble profession.

VERDICT

WE ALL LOOK SILLY!