ZIMBABWE, with her wonderful resources, has been exposed to the jaws of poverty, where a family of five is now living on less than US$2 per day.
Inflation has been spiralling upwards, with prices of most basic commodities shooting up on a daily basis and the local currency being weakened.
The country has been experiencing hyper-inflationary pressures for decades, pushing skilled workforce out of the country to seek greener pastures.
The country only showed some signs and symptoms of development during the inclusive government era, 2009-13.
We had so many things that needed attention and to be addressed. During and after the inclusive government, Zimbabwean leaders failed to take advantage of the prevailing political and economic stability to solve the challenges facing the country and we slid back into the default settings.
Today, the future of the country is bleak. Many young Zimbabweans are now engaging in drug abuse and their future is doomed.
On the international arena, we have failed to attract foreign direct investment and our re-engagement mission seems to have hit a brickwall because of our lack of commitment to reforms.
Instead of making inroads, we are creating more enemies than friends. The mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business” is just a paper tiger.
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Investors are not willing to come where there is no political and economic stability and where people are pulling in different directions.
We have self-quarantined and isolated ourselves from the international community.
Today, I challenge the youths to pick up the pieces left by their predecessors and knit them together to build a greater Zimbabwe. - Ranganai Pedu
Parents must introduce sex education at home
AS a teacher and parent who has been in the classroom for the past 12 years, my observation is that children these days know more than what we think.
Children discuss who is doing what with who and where among themselves.
Children these days are now into clubbing and engage in vuzu parties without the knowledge of their parents and have unprotected sex.
So don’t look at them and view them as innocent when it comes to sexual issues because they are your children.
We should protect our children. I know as parents we love our children, but as much as we do, we should not kill them by not discussing sexual issues so that they will be responsible adults.
As teachers, we encourage children to abstain from sex, but children will always be children, they experiment on what they hear from others or what they read, especially on social media, or what they see on television.
What I am saying is not new to Zimbabwe, it’s only that parents want to cry foul when their child gets sick or pregnant.
As long as we praise our child as clean or innocent, the child also uses it as an advantage.
These days our kids are being subjected to all kinds of sexual activity through television and the internet, so if we don’t tell them what is right and what is wrong, then someone will do it on our behalf.
I am not saying we should distribute condoms in schools, but I am saying let us start sex education in our homes for our children. Charity begins at home. - Concerned
Propagandists masquerading as analysts
IT has come to light that Zanu PF is clueless on running this country. Nothing promised during elections in 2018 has come to fruition, hence poverty is now haunting the majority.
Everyday, paid unsympathetic economic and political analysts aligned to the ruling Zanu PF party are unleashed on desperate citizens to try and paint a glossy picture of the disintegrating political and economic state our country finds herself in. The centre no longer holds.
Our analysts must be honest and stop being used on our television screens. I doubt if their researches are up to date.
Our analysts must tell us why in many cases governments were removed and new ones came in with new ideas. - Analyst
Zim is still a safe destination
IT is an oversimplification of a rather complex issue to say that Zimbabwe is among the worst tourist destinations. In actual fact, Zimbabwe is one of the safest countries in the world.
Its infrastructure is better than most countries in Africa. It should be known that information technology and the economy have nothing to do with whether a tourist will enjoy themselves or not.
A tourist enjoys the beautiful lodges and hotels in Hwange, Victoria Falls and Kariba. In terms of natural beauty, the country has endless safari destinations such as Mana Pools, Matopos, Chinhoyi Caves, Victoria Falls and Kariba. Tourists can enjoy themselves with no fear of being abducted or mugged.
We know that there are always misguided people in society who portray the wrong image in order to fortify their positions and those of their Western masters. - Tatenda Mapo