Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe is a master at ducking responsibility
29 Apr 2017 at 15:28hrs | Views
Ever since the controversial July 2013 elections, Zimbabweans have been scrounging for survival amid a plethora of challenges.
The ruling Zanu-PF - victorious in the heavily contested polls - entered a new trajectory characterised by deadly internal squabbles, at a time the general socio-economic conditions in the country deteriorated to unprecedented levels.
Sadly, no one in the leadership appeared keen to address this sharp decline.
Hundreds of companies have closed shop in slightly over three years after the 2013 election, throwing thousands of people onto the streets.
Today, Zimbabwe is a pale shadow of its former self, with the majority of the country's citizens turning to vending as the only lifeline they can turn to as the formal sector gradually collapsed.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has not spared a minute to sort out the mess they authored through a series of poor policy pronouncements that drove out several potential investors. Instead, valuable time has been lost to succession fights as it became clear that President Robert Mugabe was approaching the twilight of his political career.
The fights claimed the scalps of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, ex-party stalwarts Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo among several others on untested allegations of plotting to topple and assassinate Mugabe.
Hardly had the excitement with the annihilation of the Gamatox faction in the ruling party died down when fresh battles emerged between the Generation 40 (G40) faction - rabidly opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over from Mugabe - and Team Lacoste, comprising Mnangagwa's alleged backers.
The tragedy for Zimbabweans was the continued decline in the economic fortunes of the country, with an unprecedented shortage of cash becoming the order of the day.
Mugabe however, has continued to provide political sub plots to dire realities on the ground, effectively ducking responsibility for causing the biting problems to focus on the perennial factional fights in the ruling party.
The introduction of bond notes towards the end of last year has not helped the situation as the surrogate currency itself has since been fast disappearing while the United States dollar is almost non-existent on the formal market. Hospitals are operating with inadequate essential drugs, while constant water supplies can not be ensured despite the above normal rains the country received this season. Because Mugabe and his hangers-on do not want to admit failure, there is continued haggling in the ruling party with national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere under the cosh - ironically for plotting to topple Mugabe.
It appears nothing will happen to better the lives of the common man as the country hobbles towards yet another election in 2018.
The ruling Zanu-PF - victorious in the heavily contested polls - entered a new trajectory characterised by deadly internal squabbles, at a time the general socio-economic conditions in the country deteriorated to unprecedented levels.
Sadly, no one in the leadership appeared keen to address this sharp decline.
Hundreds of companies have closed shop in slightly over three years after the 2013 election, throwing thousands of people onto the streets.
Today, Zimbabwe is a pale shadow of its former self, with the majority of the country's citizens turning to vending as the only lifeline they can turn to as the formal sector gradually collapsed.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has not spared a minute to sort out the mess they authored through a series of poor policy pronouncements that drove out several potential investors. Instead, valuable time has been lost to succession fights as it became clear that President Robert Mugabe was approaching the twilight of his political career.
The fights claimed the scalps of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, ex-party stalwarts Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo among several others on untested allegations of plotting to topple and assassinate Mugabe.
Hardly had the excitement with the annihilation of the Gamatox faction in the ruling party died down when fresh battles emerged between the Generation 40 (G40) faction - rabidly opposed to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa taking over from Mugabe - and Team Lacoste, comprising Mnangagwa's alleged backers.
The tragedy for Zimbabweans was the continued decline in the economic fortunes of the country, with an unprecedented shortage of cash becoming the order of the day.
Mugabe however, has continued to provide political sub plots to dire realities on the ground, effectively ducking responsibility for causing the biting problems to focus on the perennial factional fights in the ruling party.
The introduction of bond notes towards the end of last year has not helped the situation as the surrogate currency itself has since been fast disappearing while the United States dollar is almost non-existent on the formal market. Hospitals are operating with inadequate essential drugs, while constant water supplies can not be ensured despite the above normal rains the country received this season. Because Mugabe and his hangers-on do not want to admit failure, there is continued haggling in the ruling party with national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere under the cosh - ironically for plotting to topple Mugabe.
It appears nothing will happen to better the lives of the common man as the country hobbles towards yet another election in 2018.
Source - dailynews
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