Guest Column:Tendai Ruben Mbofana EACH and every one of us has a family, friends, and lives in a community — and, there is one common thread between all these: a strong sense of peer review, as we have a responsibility towards one another, and holding each one accountable for one's behaviour, or misbehaviour. That is the African way — family, friends, and the community are effectively one powerful system that ensures that each member plays their part with the utmost responsibility, bringing any who stray to account, and basically being “our brother's keeper”. That is why, when we were growing up, even someone who was not your biological parent, or a blood relative, could rebuke and chastise you if they found you on the wrong side of acceptable ethical and moral standards — and, all those who did not play their part, reneged, or shied away from exercising such a valuable role of ensuring that all within the community abided with such values, were considered irresponsible. Any failures or weaknesses in this strong peer review system, would lead to the inevitable breakdown of the community. Such is exactly what we are witnessing on the African continent in general, and the southern African region in particular — as, contrary to our traditionally well-known and respected strong peer review principles, we, unfortunately, have countries that shun their responsibilities by looking away, and standing aside, while their fellow neighbours embark on a clearly disastrous, dangerous, and destructive road. We have too many examples of such unAfrican behaviour — with countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, to name but only a few — being left to their own devices, as their governments have unleashed ruinous and murderous policies, largely against a defenceless and innocent population, yet both the continental body African Union (AU), and various regional organisations ignored or uttered useless statements, urging ”antagonists to resolve their problems peacefully“ (or, any such ridiculous words), without any concrete action being taken. In southern Africa, Zimbabwe has been the ”village rogue“, outcast, and ”bad apple“ — practically, placing the whole region at security risk through its government's nefarious, oppressive and brutal policies towards the citizenry, coupled by rampant corruption and unprecedented economic incompetence, resulting not only in instability within the country, but also a great exodus of illegal immigrants to neighbouring States (most notably, the more economically advanced South Africa), as hapless and impoverished Zimbabweans desperately seek sustainable livelihoods. Yet, what are Zimbabwe's brothers and sisters in the southern African community doing? Basically, zero, nix, nothing, zilch! As such, watching governments, like the South African, make so much noise about the illegal crossing of its border with Zimbabwe — even going to the extent of deploying a whole Home Affairs minister, and military helicopters to monitor the si