Opinion / Columnist
It's time real patriotic Zimbabweans stood up against the destruction of their country
28 Nov 2024 at 15:12hrs | Views
It never rains but pours for the people of Zimbabwe.
This month, the Zimbabwean government failed to pay its civil servants their full salaries-a disgraceful development that underscores the depths of mismanagement and corruption that have become hallmarks of the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration.
This latest failure, widely attributed to the reckless splurging of an estimated $200 million on the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in August 2024, is emblematic of a regime that prioritizes vanity projects over the welfare of its people.
Held in Harare, the SADC Summit was little more than an opportunity for the government to flaunt its extravagance to an audience that only stayed in the country for a day or two.
Such fiscal irresponsibility, compounded by an $8 million splurge on luxury vehicles for traditional leaders, epitomizes the regime's disdain for the struggles of ordinary Zimbabweans.
This is not patriotism - it is betrayal.
The Dangerous Pattern of Unbudgeted Spending
At face value, there is nothing wrong with infrastructure development.
Improving roads, bridges, and other public amenities is a necessary step toward economic growth.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
However, the issue lies in how these projects are funded.
The Mnangagwa administration's habit of embarking on unbudgeted spending has catastrophic consequences for the economy.
Unplanned expenditure plunges the nation into deeper financial turmoil, a lesson Zimbabweans painfully learned in the late 1990s.
Back then, the government's decision to disburse unbudgeted Z$50,000 payouts and Z$2,000 monthly allowances to each war veteran triggered an economic meltdown.
While the intention of honoring liberation war heroes was commendable, the reckless execution undermined the economy, igniting hyperinflation and a downward spiral from which Zimbabwe has yet to recover.
Adding fuel to the fire, Zimbabwe's costly involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) war between 1998 and 2003 drained an estimated $2 billion from the country's coffers.
These reckless financial decisions ultimately pushed Zimbabwe into economic ruin-a situation eerily mirrored by today's unbudgeted expenditures.
The SADC Summit is a case in point.
While the government touts the infrastructural improvements made during the summit preparations, these projects were not funded through a proper budget.
The result?
An economy teetering on the brink, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of the fallout.
There's nothing more embarrassing than a country that cannot even pay its own civil servants, can only provide a few hours of electricity a day, where most towns and cities go for years without running water, its own currency cannot buy anything, and whose economy is 90% informal and unregulated.
A Government Rooted In Corruption
Corruption lies at the heart of Zimbabwe's financial woes.
It is no secret that politically connected elites exploit state projects as opportunities for personal enrichment.
The estimated $200 million spent on the SADC Summit likely included grossly inflated costs, with much of the money lining the pockets of the powerful.
Consider the scandal allegedly involving the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), and convicted businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
A $100 million deal for election-related materials saw costs inflated by over 235%, with materials delivered months after the elections.
This saga underscores the culture of corruption that pervades government contracts.
It is, therefore, unsurprising that the infrastructure built for the SADC Summit is already being questioned for its quality.
In many cases, substandard materials are used to maximize profits, leaving Zimbabweans with roads, bridges, and buildings that will likely fall apart within a few years.
Meanwhile, questions linger about the incomplete luxury villas reportedly built to accommodate heads of state during the summit.
Who occupies these properties now, and why were they never finished on time?
Such mysteries are emblematic of a regime that thrives on secrecy and exploitation.
The Human Cost of Mismanagement
The impact of government mismanagement is devastating.
Civil servants, who dedicate their lives to public service, are now struggling to survive after receiving partial salaries-or none at all.
This failure comes as the festive season approaches, leaving countless families in despair.
Zimbabwe's youth face an equally grim reality.
With unemployment at staggering levels, 90% of young people are forced into the informal sector, where they work without job security, fair wages, or access to social security.
The Mnangagwa regime's policies have robbed an entire generation of its future.
Electricity shortages further exacerbate the crisis.
As we speak, the country is without electricity mainly due to the shocking corruption at the state-owned power utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), mostly involving its high-ranking officials who are siphoning out millions, if not billions of dollars through shady deals, including misappropriation of funds and payment for equipment that is never delivered.
Subsequently, the country continues to heavily depend on antiquated colonial-era power generation infrastructure, which has long become obsolete and irreparable.
The resulting 18 to 24-hour power outages are crippling businesses, with the economy potentially losing billions of dollars in the mining, manufacturing, agricultural, and retail sectors.
Liberators Turned Oppressors
Zimbabwe's tragedy is that its liberators have become its oppressors.
Renowned thinker Franz Fanon, in his book "The Wretched of the Earth", pointed to this phenomenon of former liberators becoming the new oppressors.
Two of my favorite quotes are: The bourgeoisie, which is the inheritor of colonial power, will seek to maintain its privileged position and thus become an obstacle to the development of the nation.
"The liberation of the nation is one thing, and the liberation of the people is another."
I am sure this is also what the late great liberation icon "Father Zimbabwe" Dr. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo meant when he wrote in his book, "The Story of My Life": The hardest lesson of my life has come to me late. It is that a nation can win freedom without its people becoming free.
This points to a painful reality: Zimbabweans are not free and have actually been oppressed by their former liberators.
These words resonate deeply today.
While the colonial government exploited Zimbabwe's resources, it also built infrastructure that continues to serve the nation.
The Mnangagwa regime, by contrast, has presided over the decay of this infrastructure while looting the nation into poverty.
A Call to True Patriots
It is time for real patriots to rise and defend Zimbabwe.
Patriotism is not blind loyalty to those in power; it is a commitment to the well-being of the nation and its people.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to lose any more time to a regime that prioritizes personal gain over national progress.
We must now cast away our feat and bravely demand accountability by holding the government answerable for its spending and corruption.
We need to stand up against the pillaging of or resources and demand the equitable distribution of this wealth.
Zimbabwe is for all of us and not just a connected and powerful few.
That is what true patriotism is all about.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe stands at a critical crossroads.
Either its people rise to reclaim their country, or they watch it descend further into despair.
The time for complacency is over.
This is a call to action-not just for opposition leaders or civil society, but for every Zimbabwean who loves their country.
Standing up to this regime is not only a matter of survival; it is a moral obligation.
If true patriots remain silent, Zimbabwe will be lost.
It is time to stand up for a nation that prioritizes its people over vanity projects and corruption.
Only then can Zimbabwe truly be free.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
This month, the Zimbabwean government failed to pay its civil servants their full salaries-a disgraceful development that underscores the depths of mismanagement and corruption that have become hallmarks of the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration.
This latest failure, widely attributed to the reckless splurging of an estimated $200 million on the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in August 2024, is emblematic of a regime that prioritizes vanity projects over the welfare of its people.
Held in Harare, the SADC Summit was little more than an opportunity for the government to flaunt its extravagance to an audience that only stayed in the country for a day or two.
Such fiscal irresponsibility, compounded by an $8 million splurge on luxury vehicles for traditional leaders, epitomizes the regime's disdain for the struggles of ordinary Zimbabweans.
This is not patriotism - it is betrayal.
The Dangerous Pattern of Unbudgeted Spending
At face value, there is nothing wrong with infrastructure development.
Improving roads, bridges, and other public amenities is a necessary step toward economic growth.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
However, the issue lies in how these projects are funded.
The Mnangagwa administration's habit of embarking on unbudgeted spending has catastrophic consequences for the economy.
Unplanned expenditure plunges the nation into deeper financial turmoil, a lesson Zimbabweans painfully learned in the late 1990s.
Back then, the government's decision to disburse unbudgeted Z$50,000 payouts and Z$2,000 monthly allowances to each war veteran triggered an economic meltdown.
While the intention of honoring liberation war heroes was commendable, the reckless execution undermined the economy, igniting hyperinflation and a downward spiral from which Zimbabwe has yet to recover.
Adding fuel to the fire, Zimbabwe's costly involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) war between 1998 and 2003 drained an estimated $2 billion from the country's coffers.
These reckless financial decisions ultimately pushed Zimbabwe into economic ruin-a situation eerily mirrored by today's unbudgeted expenditures.
The SADC Summit is a case in point.
While the government touts the infrastructural improvements made during the summit preparations, these projects were not funded through a proper budget.
The result?
An economy teetering on the brink, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of the fallout.
There's nothing more embarrassing than a country that cannot even pay its own civil servants, can only provide a few hours of electricity a day, where most towns and cities go for years without running water, its own currency cannot buy anything, and whose economy is 90% informal and unregulated.
A Government Rooted In Corruption
Corruption lies at the heart of Zimbabwe's financial woes.
It is no secret that politically connected elites exploit state projects as opportunities for personal enrichment.
The estimated $200 million spent on the SADC Summit likely included grossly inflated costs, with much of the money lining the pockets of the powerful.
Consider the scandal allegedly involving the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), and convicted businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
A $100 million deal for election-related materials saw costs inflated by over 235%, with materials delivered months after the elections.
This saga underscores the culture of corruption that pervades government contracts.
It is, therefore, unsurprising that the infrastructure built for the SADC Summit is already being questioned for its quality.
In many cases, substandard materials are used to maximize profits, leaving Zimbabweans with roads, bridges, and buildings that will likely fall apart within a few years.
Meanwhile, questions linger about the incomplete luxury villas reportedly built to accommodate heads of state during the summit.
Who occupies these properties now, and why were they never finished on time?
Such mysteries are emblematic of a regime that thrives on secrecy and exploitation.
The Human Cost of Mismanagement
The impact of government mismanagement is devastating.
Civil servants, who dedicate their lives to public service, are now struggling to survive after receiving partial salaries-or none at all.
Zimbabwe's youth face an equally grim reality.
With unemployment at staggering levels, 90% of young people are forced into the informal sector, where they work without job security, fair wages, or access to social security.
The Mnangagwa regime's policies have robbed an entire generation of its future.
Electricity shortages further exacerbate the crisis.
As we speak, the country is without electricity mainly due to the shocking corruption at the state-owned power utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), mostly involving its high-ranking officials who are siphoning out millions, if not billions of dollars through shady deals, including misappropriation of funds and payment for equipment that is never delivered.
Subsequently, the country continues to heavily depend on antiquated colonial-era power generation infrastructure, which has long become obsolete and irreparable.
The resulting 18 to 24-hour power outages are crippling businesses, with the economy potentially losing billions of dollars in the mining, manufacturing, agricultural, and retail sectors.
Liberators Turned Oppressors
Zimbabwe's tragedy is that its liberators have become its oppressors.
Renowned thinker Franz Fanon, in his book "The Wretched of the Earth", pointed to this phenomenon of former liberators becoming the new oppressors.
Two of my favorite quotes are: The bourgeoisie, which is the inheritor of colonial power, will seek to maintain its privileged position and thus become an obstacle to the development of the nation.
"The liberation of the nation is one thing, and the liberation of the people is another."
I am sure this is also what the late great liberation icon "Father Zimbabwe" Dr. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo meant when he wrote in his book, "The Story of My Life": The hardest lesson of my life has come to me late. It is that a nation can win freedom without its people becoming free.
This points to a painful reality: Zimbabweans are not free and have actually been oppressed by their former liberators.
These words resonate deeply today.
While the colonial government exploited Zimbabwe's resources, it also built infrastructure that continues to serve the nation.
The Mnangagwa regime, by contrast, has presided over the decay of this infrastructure while looting the nation into poverty.
A Call to True Patriots
It is time for real patriots to rise and defend Zimbabwe.
Patriotism is not blind loyalty to those in power; it is a commitment to the well-being of the nation and its people.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to lose any more time to a regime that prioritizes personal gain over national progress.
We must now cast away our feat and bravely demand accountability by holding the government answerable for its spending and corruption.
We need to stand up against the pillaging of or resources and demand the equitable distribution of this wealth.
Zimbabwe is for all of us and not just a connected and powerful few.
That is what true patriotism is all about.
Conclusion
Zimbabwe stands at a critical crossroads.
Either its people rise to reclaim their country, or they watch it descend further into despair.
The time for complacency is over.
This is a call to action-not just for opposition leaders or civil society, but for every Zimbabwean who loves their country.
Standing up to this regime is not only a matter of survival; it is a moral obligation.
If true patriots remain silent, Zimbabwe will be lost.
It is time to stand up for a nation that prioritizes its people over vanity projects and corruption.
Only then can Zimbabwe truly be free.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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