Even if Mnangagwa developed Zimbabwe to South African standards, he would have failed

There are truths that we all need to understand. 

I was watching a news bulletin on the state-controlled broadcaster ZBC this evening. 

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As has been the norm for years, the bulletin was filled with glowing praise for President Emmerson Mnangagwa's supposed development of the country. 

We were shown buildings under construction in Harare, heard from the Minister of Education about schools completed during the year, learned of a projected 6% economic growth rate, and were reassured of hopes for a good agricultural season thanks to expected rains.

These developments, on the surface, are highly commendable. 

New schools, roads, and buildings are positive signs. 

Yet, I have written this before, and I will write it again - these things alone do not improve the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. 

Infrastructure, economic growth figures, or lofty projections mean nothing if the wealth of the country does not reach its people.

What matters to Zimbabweans is the ability to enjoy a decent life, to access basic necessities, to afford comforts that a country as naturally and economically endowed as Zimbabwe should provide. 

Anything less is meaningless. 

True development is measured not by the number of buildings or the height of skyscrapers, but by the wellness of a country's citizens—by improvements in the Human Development Index, by narrowing the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and by tangible upliftment of the poor out of poverty. 

In short, development is meaningful only when it transforms the lived realities of ordinary people.

Consider South Africa, often cited as a model for Zimbabwe's aspirations. 

South Africa is already an upper middle-income economy. 

It is a continental economic powerhouse, a member of both the G20 and BRICS, and boasts a projected GDP of $410–426 billion in 2025, according to sources like the IMF and Statista. 

By many conventional measures, it is a success story. 

Yet, the reality on the ground is far less enviable. 

As of 2025, approximately 68% of South Africans are estimated to be living in poverty under broader World Bank definitions, while projections using the upper-middle-income poverty line suggest that about 63.5% of the population still lives in poverty.

These statistics are shocking, particularly for a country with one of Africa's largest economies. 

They reveal a harsh truth: economic growth does not automatically translate into widespread prosperity. 

South Africa's impressive GDP growth has not ensured that ordinary citizens enjoy a better standard of living. 

In fact, the country is often described as one of the most unequal societies in the world. 

Its Gini coefficient, a standard measure of income inequality, hovers around 0.63, placing it among the highest globally. 

Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, while millions continue to struggle to access basic healthcare, education, and housing.

That is why the governing ANC continues to lose support and, in the most recent elections, failed to secure a parliamentary majority, forcing it to govern through a Government of National Unity.

This clearly shows that ordinary South Africans, despite the country's impressive economic growth, remain trapped in abject poverty, with many still living in squalor and shacks, and are increasingly fed up with those in power.

This is the critical lesson for Zimbabwe. 

The spectacle of new interchanges, modern buildings, and gleaming offices cannot compensate for the grinding poverty experienced by ordinary citizens. 

Development is not about what can be admired from a distance; it is about what is felt and lived every day. 

It is about whether a mother can afford medicine for her child, whether a rural child can learn under a proper roof rather than a tree, whether a patient can find life-saving equipment in a hospital, and whether a farmer can bring produce to market on a drivable road rather than a route riddled with potholes.

Zimbabwe today, despite having a relatively smaller economy of around $52 billion, should not see its citizens struggling for these basics. 

There is no justification for the chronic shortage of medical supplies and equipment. 

There is no reason why classrooms in rural areas are makeshift, and there is no excuse for roads that are often impassable. 

Yet, an estimated 80% of Zimbabweans continue to live in poverty. 

This is not a reflection of a lack of natural or human resources; it is a reflection of an unfair and unequal distribution of wealth, where the fruits of the nation are looted by a small elite while the majority suffer.

The question then arises: what would change for ordinary Zimbabweans if our economy grew to match South Africa's? 

The answer is stark. 

If Zimbabwe mirrored South Africa's economic size without addressing the inequalities that plague our society, the majority of citizens would remain in poverty. 

A nation can be rich on paper, but if wealth does not trickle down, it is meaningless. 

Magnificent buildings, pristine roads, and the presence of multinational companies are empty symbols if the people themselves see no benefit. 

The real measure of progress is whether the country's prosperity improves the quality of life of all its citizens, not just the privileged few.

This is where President Mnangagwa's administration has failed. 

The government asks citizens to celebrate visible, tangible symbols of development, yet these do not alleviate the hardships faced by the majority.  

No amount of new highways or gleaming buildings can disguise the harsh reality that most Zimbabweans are still struggling to survive.

Development is not an abstract concept; it is experienced in the daily realities of citizens. 

Until wealth is equitably distributed, until basic services reach the majority, and until poverty is meaningfully addressed, any claims of development are hollow.

In conclusion, even if President Mnangagwa were to grow Zimbabwe's economy to the same size as South Africa's, the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans would remain largely unchanged. 

The country would still grapple with inequality, widespread poverty, and limited access to essential services. 

Growth without equitable distribution is empty, and symbols of development cannot replace genuine improvement in people's lives. 

What Zimbabwe needs is not just economic expansion, but a fundamental transformation in how wealth is shared, so that the majority can experience the benefits of their nation's resources. 

Until that happens, no matter how high the GDP soars or how impressive the infrastructure projects, the administration will have failed the very people it claims to serve. 

True development is about people first. 

Until the people rise out of poverty, all else is mere window dressing.

© 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/