AS Zimbabweans continue to endure unmitigated poverty under the Zanu PF regime’s more than four decades rule, one honestly wonders if they still see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Every time I listen to President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa wailing over “sanctions” supposedly imposed on the country, as well as so-called “saboteurs” — both blamed for the country’s economic ruination — all hope for a better Zimbabwe under his rule fades away.
It is difficult to dream of a prosperous life as long as we are led by people who always seem to have excuses for their monumental failures.
This is a country endowed with vast globally sought-after minerals which are not under any trade embargoes whatsoever — yet those in power have been shamelessly failing to improve the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
In fact, all they have managed to achieve is hogging news headlines for looting these resources with statistics showing that Zimbabwe is prejudiced of over US$2 billion each year through smuggling, as well as illicit financial flows.
Yet, year after year those entrusted with running the affairs of our country have no qualms pointing figures at others, namely imposers of sanctions and saboteurs — for the mess that they themselves have created.
Therefore, my question is: Given these never-ending excuses, when will they finally manage to take Zimbabwe to a higher level of development?
To be brutally frank, I never had faith in someone who is fond of giving excuses for his or her inability to make good on expected deliverables; worse when these excuses cover decades.
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If these “sanctions and saboteurs” are real, why has the Zanu PF administration not been able to find a way round them for more than two decades? If they failed to take the nation out of poverty all this time, will they finally get it right?
From the look of things, the lofty vision of Zimbabwe achieving an “upper-middle-income economy” is increasingly becoming a mere pipedream that will go beyond the targeted 2030. As a matter of fact, as long as Zimbabweans allow this caboodle to remain in office, then we might as well hope to achieve the vision by 2050 because “sanctions and saboteurs” will continue being cited as reasons for missing critical goals.
In fact, this party has missed too many goals that we have lost count of for us to have faith that the nation will achieve anything under Zanu PF leadership.
For example, we were assured of health and education for all by the year 2000, housing for all by the same year, then came Vision 2020 and numerous other promises, but every promise has come to naught.
Zimbabweans are globally renowned for being very patient people, but for how long will they continue to tolerate this destructive kleptomaniac regime?
People of Zimbabwe are definitely not fools.
If “sanctions” on Zimbabwe are the real reason we have been enduring such unimaginable pain and suffering, how come Zanu PF has been able to import top-of-the-range vehicles for its election campaigns while its government has bought helicopters to ferry sick people to crumbling hospitals?
There are just too many things that prove that this party has failed us and in its futile attempts to hide behind a finger it is exposing its penchant for lying.
For instance, if the country’s rabid black market exchange rate is the work of saboteurs, who on earth is then sabotaging the government’s own exchange rate?
Even if the parallel market were to magically disappear overnight, we would still wake up to a spine-chilling official exchange rate.
Indeed, the Zimbabwean economy is being sabotaged but certainly not by the West or “regime change agents” but by the Mnangagwa administration.
If anything, the only “illegal regime change” witnessed in Zimbabwe, since independence, was at the hands of the current leadership which came to power in November 2017 through a military coup.
Amid all the looting by the ruling elite and suffering of millions, we are given excuses about sanctions and saboteurs!
People of Zimbabwe are not fools!
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700/+263782283975, or email: [email protected] , or visit website: www.mbofanatendairuben.news.blog He writes here in his personal capacity.
