Dokora ‘kills’ Mwakutuya

Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent
In a no-holds-barred radio talk-show called Head-On, the interviewer, Farai Mwakutuya was both intellectually and factually beaten all systems out by the interviewee, the erudite Dr Dokora.

MINISTER of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Lazarus Dokora ‘destroyed’ ZI-FM’s prominent radio presenter and in a question and answer Wednesday night on ‘My Station — Your Station’

In a no-holds-barred radio talk-show called Head-On, the interviewer, Farai Mwakutuya was both intellectually and factually beaten all systems out by the interviewee, the erudite Dr Dokora.

Mwakutuya evidently began on high journalist oomph where zeal and confidence were the order of his questions to the Minister.

Mwakutuya’s questions drooling and drenching over with tone and attitude seemingly worded to roast the Minister, if not to ridicule him, in Dr Dokora’s staunch defence of the New Curriculum were cleanly shot down. One by one his pointed questions were all turned from sublime to ridiculous, or all turned from black to white leaving Dr Dokora visibly in-charge of the programme and not Mwakutuya.

The ZI-FM interview served as a warning to all New Curriculum critics and opponents who may still believe foolish, unwise, chaotic, directionless, impotent and doomed are some of the words appropriate to describe Dr Dokora and his curriculum resolution.

If you know the opposites of all the above adjectives, that is exactly what Dr Dokora is; mentally fit, wise, highly organised, purposeful and focused on a clear vision potent and blessed. The radio programme — Mwakutuya versus Dr Dokora proved this. Out of 10, Mwakutuya scored two and out of 10 and Dr Dokora 9 ½ out of 10.

Mwakutuya struggled to use the Chaka-Sali or Steven Sucker punch to knock down the Minister, but ultimately suffered a miserable TKO at the hands of the good doctor’s pugilistic outstanding performance in defence of the new curriculum.

The killer punch came when the charging bull, Dr Dokora, obviously enjoying an obvious victory, told the sorry-sounding Mwakutuya: “It is not my school heads and teachers, who need work shopping, but people like you” referring to media critics or journalists who assume the role of unsolicited whistle blowers.

Mwakutuya’s final question, clearly meant to deliver the last hopeless blow something like: “Minister do you honestly believe the new curriculum will foster a successful precursor for desired national development?” gave the Minister the last laugh when he answered: “Who would not want a curriculum that develops critical thinking in our children, a curriculum that pulls them out of mental slavery, a curriculum that offers them an expanded scope of learning leaving them 21st century compliant in all their pursuits?”

Lessons learnt from the Mwakutuya — Dr Dokora debacle in which the latter ‘murdered’ the former.

Please note that the following remarks generally refer to any other similar talk-shows on radio or television:

1. That an interview must not allow common or populist opinion to drive the interviewer’s appetite to ridicule a guest on radio or television.
2. That a winning host or interviewer is one who referees the game only but must be a skilful and knowledgeable player himself/herself if he/she wants to play the game intelligently.
3. That a shrewd host/ interviewer must fully understand his/her topic remembering personal opinions and attitudes don’t constitute ‘gospel’ truth, about life issues.
4. A talk show host must never underestimate the intelligence of a guest or interviewee on Radio or Television if they want to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.
5. A talk show host must never think when an opinion is popular in society it is the only one and cannot be defended.
6. A talk show host must always know that while many people, maybe listeners or viewers, think their hosts or interviewers are honourable and like Napoleon ‘Always Right’, a lot more of them don’t respect media personalities’knowing-it-all airs are only often executive positional arrogance.
7. Many journalists and radio presenters on talk-show hosts take on difficult or complex topics which they fail to handle deeply and intelligently.
8. Many of them end up putting up childish and flippant shows which could otherwise be quite educative and worthwhile.
9. Many ‘youngsters’ on radio or television today take on complex social topics which they cannot fathom enough or handle with befitting serious knowledge base, only to display inexperience and naivety about serious life issues.

When Mwakutuya discovered that the doctor was not in a mood to be confused for an intellectual and organised buffoon, he shifted from a confrontational interviewer and wanted it known he was asking people’s questions, not his? It was too late.

His guest had won the day by sheer verbal grace punctuated by fact and reason any calm mind would find uneasy to refute or contest.

Dr Dokora defended the new curriculum smartly and emphatically beyond any shadow of doubt and managed to defend it proudly, hook, line and sinker where no liking or not liking him did not matter.