Mnangagwa's quiet transformation

When ED came to power just over a year ago, many of us were expecting big things. And fast.

The situation was just so bad under Bob and Grace's misrule, that when, in those heady days of November 2017, we went to the streets, we went in the firm belief that merely removing the Mugabes would bring the change we so dreamt of.

And so when ED got into office, with talk of a new Zimbabwe, we were in dreamland. We expected immediate change.

The reality however has been somewhat different. Our sky high hopes are yet to be met, and the economic situation in particular is still bad. We have not yet seen wholesale change in our living standards, nor has the long-term currency crisis been solved yet. This has led some people, especially on social media, to lose hope in the new dispensation, and argue that things are no better than under Bob.

But while the sense of disappointment is natural, I believe it misses a key point - the inconvenient truth of the human experience. Change takes time. And big changes cause upheaval. However frustrating, these facts are indisputable.

And the reality is that beneath the surface, changes are taking place. Big changes.

In the economic realm, under the watchful guidance of Mthuli Ncube, structural transformation is underway. Aware of the fact that much of our economic challenges are due to government overspending, Mthuli has tightened the purse strings of government through a responsible and forward looking budget. For the first time in recent memory, last month we ran a budget surplus! That means, government collected more than it spent, an important signal to donors and investors that this is responsible government, who can be trusted with their money.

The problem for most Zimbabweans is that running a budget surplus doesn't have an immediate impact on our lives, neither is it newsworthy. But that doesn't make it any less important. The fact that government is working quietly to create a more stable economy, which we will all benefit from in the long term, is something that should please us all.

By the same token, efforts against corruption have also been ramped up in recent months, as we have seen a spate of arrests of senior figures for abuse of office and other graft-related offences. While these arrests have so far not included the 'big fish' that many are hoping for, the fact that so many well-known figures are being arrested and charged is a clear sign of progress.

One of the great contradictions for politicians is that people are impatient – we want quick fixes and instant results – but real change takes time. The difference between a politician and a leader, is that politicians pander to the desire for instant results, taking decisions that look good in the short term but may not be beneficial for the overall health of the economy.

In contrast, leaders take decisions that may not be popular in the short term, but in the long run create a better, more secure future.

In this regard, over the past year, ED has shown himself to be a true leader. He has not always done what is popular, but he has done what is right. He is overseeing a quiet transformation, whose effects will be felt for years to come. And if he gets criticism on the way for not moving fast enough, so be it. That is the life of a leader.