For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

I have tried in many times to be a harbinger of Zimbabwean psychology and many times I have failed, however l have found unusual energy to continue in this pursuit however illusive it appears each and every day. In 2012 the former UN secretary general came up with a six point plan to end the war in Syria and after a year Kofi Annan’s plan was a total failure, but I still argue that he himself was never a failure.  It was an assignment which each step was going to be more difficult and complex from the previous. My belief though subjective draws parallels between being a harbinger for Zimbabwean psychology and the Syrian envoy job before Annan in 2012.

There were a lot of movements in the body of psychology in Zimbabwe which I will highlight. These changes are important as they have a significance of the trajectory which psychology will take. The first is the coming in of a new guard in psychology thus the coronation of Herbert Zirima (PhD) as the council representative for psychology in the regulatory board, Allied Health Professional Council Zimbabwe(AHPCZ). Secondly it is the coming in of Society of Zambezi Psychology as an optional voluntary organization for those within psychology, third it is the revival of clinical psychology and occupational psychology at masters level at University of Zimbabwe(UZ). The fourth is the significance of new Masters program at UZ namely Forensic Psychology and Clinical educational psychology within the department of Education. The fifth change includes the introduction of psychology undergraduate programs which depict a false sense of specialization. Sixth is the coming in of psychology regulations which would be in effect from 2021.

The temptation having mentioned this is to comment on each of these six changes and how psychology will look like in such a background. The paper will leave such a job to the reader to comment and see how such changes will shape the future of psychology. The paper will however as a harbinger of psychology simply state how psychology will be without commenting on the relationship of changes in psychology and its future.

  • There will be a surge of private practice in psychology
  • Calls for an independent board of psychology with its own Act from parliament
  • Masters programs to align undergraduate programs with false semblance of specialization
  • Presence of psychologists in the judicial systems
  • Friction between psychiatry and psychology and capture of psychology by psychiatry
  • Numerical growth of psychologists on the register and infighting amongst psychology specializations.
  •  Competition and growth of psychology literature in Zimbabwe

It is a risky business to predict for one can be wrong, I take the risk to state that within the next 7 years this is the direction psychology in Zimbabwe is going to take.  

Prosper K Mushauri

Coordinator

Society of Zambezi Psychology