Corruption is the major cause of economic collapse in Zimbabwe 1980:2016

When a nation goes through economic hardships they are unable to trace its cause, corruption thrives since corruption lies at the heart of human ill will centred on selfishness in self-preservation of a dynasty of few to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest.  Political decay derives from greediness founded on short cuts always caused by men lacking in experience and integrity but ambitious without a vision, let alone practice, of building nationhood.

Poor governance is not an act of human invention or lack of intelligence but the highest level of poor mind with a self-centered vision always scheming on a get rich method devoid of proper management accountability therefore a recipe to management of failure cultured on love for power for its own sake. Power for personal glorification emanates from the perspectives of desire for self-preservation excluding majority but working with a clique of hideous people of similar ambitions. Examine in detail the rise of Robert Mugabe to power and subsequent maintenance to power methods he adopted-force of violence.

Less knowledge and skills on dealing fairly with others renders a tyrant more susceptible to suspecting expertise preferring instead to work with the gullible, which care less about procedures or the good of accountability but thrive on exploitation of decay and corrupt systems. Inevitably, Zimbabwe fell into poor management accountability syndrome by inheriting an advanced economy by African standards then except for the economies of South Africa and Egypt. Zanu leadership although bookishly read were not schooled in management as a system of accountability and delivery of services. The practice of separation of power meant little to Zanu in 1980 as it still means nothing to Zanu in 2016. Mr. Robert Mugabe did not understand fully the essence of constitutional supremacy and its being the true pillar in practice to building good governance.

The liberation struggle experience of 1970s through 1980 mantle, in my opinion, had sincerely built a false hope that all things were resolved through the barrel of a gun. One way to understanding, what I am saying, is to view the Edgar Tekere saga in 1980 of an open battle with a white farmer and killing him. Much remained unclear in that case to this day.  In black and white on paper and according the laws of the land life  of a citizen had been taken illegally by a top most government minister and driver of Zanu government policy making body the central committee.

The acts of Tekere in shooting a white farmer cold blooded can only make sense when viewed as an act of a collective, namely Zanu government. Subsequently that philosophy on the disregard of human life has run strong in the circles of Zanu-life-line of governance for the last thirty-six years at the helm of government in Zimbabwe. The problem is a war fought on the premise of black against white in many people's minds has cost us many years watching and failing to see where Zanu government was, is and has gone wrong. If we saw it then but concealed it, then the selfish desire and ambition of building a system on hidden corrupt practices has to this day driven the country blindly into the bottomless pit of a cancerous greedy appetite.

Time has convinced me to the academic prowess of many people in Zimbabwe yet without any hands on experience to make the country produce tangible business results in 1980. Few men of integrity have stood to condemn Zanu activities costing the country many years of negative publicity and development. Many from outside the country and others from within have urged against the demise of corrupt and inept government in Zimbabwe without much success. Yet a few more others have relocated their businesses and have done well economically outside Zimbabwe. At independence, Zanu had so many Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph D) and Medical Doctors in its cabinet.   Mr.Mugabe had hoped in his mind all his governance misgivings would fly away by simply having a team of 'educated' men around him.

 We must acknowledge though that Zanu leadership at independence celebration in 1980 had received strong educational advice on governance from people like President Julius K Nyerere of Tanzania. I was at Rufaro National Stadium in Harare that night as the country celebrated good-bye to colonial legacy and well coming independence. The only conclusion I had and have had since was that Zanu is incorrigible, arrogant and poor willed to correct mistakes of the past let alone acknowledge them. That legacy is devilish and lingers strong in the mind of many who have lived in Zanu and even those who witnessed its callous brutality on masses in the country.

The country has failed from simple issues like lack of transparency on human rights abuse and accountability of government on her expenditure. The phenomenally huge budget on the presidency grew big year after year and the work it did grew unaccountable as well. The efforts to silence people from talking on the government shortcomings grew stronger and one can disappear or handled by government forces cruelly and have very little said on the part of government. The recent case of Itai Dzamara is fresh apart from many others of arrests without trial and/or arrest for talking against the president.

Freedom, which is the recipe to a thriving successful private enterprise has virtual disappeared in Zimbabwe, so has gone the spirit of private enterprise. Too much government control based more on greedy than correctional measure to share structure in corporate world has shrunk private sector to a zero growth point with many investors running out of the country as well as individuals. There is no recorded success of Mugabe government listening to anyone except being a very rude and none respectful government in dealing with other governments, with citizens during elections, with investors in business of industry, trade and commerce and agriculture.

It is the acts of none transparency and lacking in accountability by Zanu government that led the police, soldiers, secret service and civil servants to be a chain of corruption prevalent as a system of governance in Zimbabwe today. Too many cases of government failing to meet payments are signals that government has chewed funds without accounting for it.

What is the prescription to all this cancer spreading so viciously in the country?  Many people have lost hope if any resistance need built against Zanu government and by whom. Zanu is at its weakest point today much as sadly all opposition is in disarray as well.  The greatest danger in Zimbabwe is the rate at which opposition is mushrooming, suggesting all is not well in opposition politics. Either Zanu has mastered corrupting opposition politics to reduce chances of opposition strength to win an election ever irrespective of Zanu famous rigging record.

Power lies in thinking outside the box and being honest to ourselves to rid oppressive machination of a weak Zanu. Zanu is weak but also strong because she has learnt to plant imposters who agitate as though opposing while they measure strength of true opposition left. Change is not an accident but a concerted effort of visionary leadership whose narrative should be honest, consisted and strong at discrediting Zanu historically as well as today. To the extent that opposition still talk on already agreed reforms are an acceptable to Zanu, clearly shows the lethargy among the plethora of opposition political parties mushrooming up daily if not hourly.

As long as many of us either in the Diaspora or at home regard building of personal nests as strength of the future, it should not surprise anyone that Zanu, divided though she is will replicate and keep ruling. We need drive hard the spirit of togetherness at Dispora level and connect with the sincere to dislodge politically and constitutionally the political hegemony of Zanu.

We need not rely on the passing away ultimately of Mr. Mugabe, that will naturally come,  as helpful to politics in the country as long as we have no moral courage to challenge seriously Zanu both on paper and physically. Challenging Zanu on the ground is doable if we disassociate ourselves from the cunningly sly wealth allocating methods Zanu has used before in pacifying strong challenge. Similarly, the death threats hung on anyone's head as far as Zanu capacity to spill blood is her number one tool.

Strong lobbying on tangible evidence of wrongdoing by Zanu consistently without flip-flopping will find support in the country and outside for a permanent solution to Zimbabwe political impasse. In 1999 is a good case when opposition was little existing giving chance to forceful emergency of opposition, reliant on people power than leadership power temporarily did it if not for the failure to concede to shifting paradigms in leadership and styles.

There can no longer be much blood spilling from Zanu without meeting the wrath of the world. We have built strong African nations like Botswana, Nigeria and Tanzania from democratic processes on going that they will have a voice at African Union. The world had spoken wrong or right on Libya, Iraq and Egypt.  The role and help of world social profit organizations such as the world group of political elders, is an influential force on global political issues.

Without the world group of political elders, Zanu would have spilt blood to squeeze out potential threats from those she expelled from her arty with accusations in December 2014. We have underplayed international politics too much as Zimbabweans and sometimes to the advantage of Zanu long stay in power.  We have to carry our SWOT analysis of putting a strong opposition on Zanu not only from those who failed before but from our reservoir of capable, honesty men and women inside and outside the country.