Coffee With Achievement Milestones
If you were having coffee with me, I would welcome you to my tangle of words and invite you to feel at home. Have you stumbled across any milestones recently?
It’s been just over a month since WordPress launched a whole bunch of “Achievements” and if you so much as sneezed at a post in June you probably unlocked a milestone. The only milestone that I actually look forward to on my blogging calendar is my blogging anniversary in August.
For my blogging mutuals who have been in the blogosphere for 10+ years, the common sentiment has been the Achievements are performative at best (and yes, you can turn off the notifications in the settings) … while those who started their blogs more recently have been more likely to find them encouraging, like a cheerleader. 🥳🥳🥳
If you were having coffee with me, I would ask what your reaction to the achievements has been. I am somewhat of two minds… on one hand, some of the milestones are kinda inspiring, but on the other hand, most come across as tacky, and I kinda wish that the resources dedicated to tracking the metrics for achievements had been better utilised to improve engagement and community, which is the singular most valuable commodity that has kept WordPress the leading blogging platform.
Currently, Substack seems to be the fashionable alternative for those starting their writing journey and those jumping ship, but it ain’t no WordPress and the numbers don’t lie.. Although the powers that be at WordPress seem focused on seeing how far they can push things till the only bloggers left are churning out AI slop and anyone with complaints can take it up with AI Support…*sigh*
If you were having coffee with me, I would tell you that, speaking of milestones, our president signed the Constitution Amendment Act No. 3 into law, and so that means we won’t be having elections until 2030, among other changes.
Any opposition party member with presidential aspirations can kiss their ambition goodbye, as there will be no more presidential elections with parliamentarians and senators electing the president. Unless, of course, someone contests the constitutionality of the new law in court, but the verdict is predictable.
In the trademark response of Zimbabweans, people are already joking about things, with some asking if the Constitution Amendment Bill Number 3, CAB3 will pave the way for CAB4, which will further extend term limits to a life presidency, and a CAB5, which will allow presidents to rule from the grave.
Ironically, one of the reasons behind the private school coup that led to the resignation of the late former president Robert Mugabe was his intention to cling to power beyond term limits, and one of Mnangagwa’s first declarations as president was that he would respect the constitution, which has now been respectfully amended in what some say is a well-calculated coup that no one saw coming… Two coups in 10 years is a milestone.
A new amendment to the Medical Services Act was also gazetted. Under this act, private health institutions must now admit any patient with a life-threatening emergency for at least 48 hours to stabilise them before transfer, even if the patient cannot afford care. It also further states that heads of private institutions (or practitioners acting without authority) who refuse such emergency admission face fines up to level 8 or imprisonment up to one year.
Private health care facilities have been notorious for turning away people without medical insurance or large cash deposits upfront… This law helps especially in the case of road traffic accidents and other emergencies which occur where the nearest health facility is a private institution.
However, while the intention might be well-meaning, it feels like pawning off their obligation to the private health sector. And it might seem a bit insensitive, but hard questions need to be asked, such as, what’s the point of having a patient stabilised at a private health institution only to be transferred to an underfunded and understaffed public hospital where they will likely die, leaving a hefty private health care bill that no one will want to pay off?
The act is rather vague in part, referencing yet-to-be-drafted regulations that will govern the structural policy, financial support and legal enforcement; otherwise its basically a wishlist… Good legislation is only as successful as the state’s willingness and transparency in funding it, otherwise it produces beautiful laws with unchanged practice.
And it’s just a regular Wednesday… What’s been happening in your neck of the woods?
~B
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