The holidays are here, and with them come family reunions—those gatherings where joy mingles with just a touch of dread.
Because, let us be honest, every family has that one relative. You know, the one whose life is a soap opera of bad decisions, chaos, and unending drama.
They show up, not with solutions or progress, but with a well-worn, ready to add their mess to your already full plate.
In the southern African family, Zimbabwe is that relative—and everyone knows it.
Last week’s SADC (Southern African Development Community) Extraordinary Summit drove this point home.
According to our sister paper, the Zimbabwe Independent, 12 out of 16 SADC heads of state outright skipped the summit.
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This was supposed to be Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s big debut as the bloc’s new chairman, since he took on the role in August, instead, it turned into a lonely mavis party.
Zimbabwe has become the awkward relative that everyone avoids at gatherings.
Its economy is in tatters, its citizens are fleeing en masse to neighbouring countries like South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, and its policies seem frozen in a bygone era.
It is like showing up to a 2024 dinner party with a rotary phone and try to convince everyone it is the future.
And numbers testify to that very bleak image.
The highest inflation rate in the region, worst debt-to-GDP ratio in SADC, most expensive data costs, highest unemployment rates, longest daily power cuts, high taxes, and corruption that drains more from government coffers than revenue can bring in.
It is not just about economics, though.
Zimbabwe’s obsession with its liberation struggle is like that one uncle who only talks about “the good old days” while ignoring the crumbling roof above their head.
Sure, the fight for independence was monumental, but clinging to it as the nation's sole identity has bred stagnation and corruption.
Meanwhile, countries like South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and Botswana are shedding their liberation-era baggage and embracing new political dynamics.
In that, they are like younger siblings who have outgrown hand-me-downs, while Zimbabwe stubbornly wears the same threadbare coat.
And the neighbours are getting fed up too.
Zimbabwean migrants flood their borders, seeking jobs, opportunities, and stability—sometimes at the cost of their dignity or lives. Imagine hosting a cousin who not only camps out in your living room indefinitely but also asks you to cover their Wi-Fi and groceries needs. That is Zimbabwe to its neighbours.
Here is the harsh truth: the begging bowl strategy is not sustainable, the big boys club is not sustainable.
The world—and SADC—wants to see action, not excuses.
Zimbabwe needs bold leadership to break free from its political and economic quagmire.
It is time to separate politics from the economy, rethink outdated policies, and focus on creating opportunities within its borders.
The holidays are about self-reflection, after all.
Maybe this season, Zimbabwe’s leaders can sit down with a little eggnog (or a lot of it!) and finally ask themselves: Where did we go wrong, and how can we make it right? Because let’s face it: every family has that one relative.
But if you stay in that role too long, even family stops inviting you to the table.