(Last Updated on August 27, 2020 by Editor)
HARARE – Today marks two years since the inauguration of President Mnangagwa after a highly disputed election that was rubber-stamped by a captured judiciary confirming Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s declaration that Mnangagwa had narrowly won the election against the young and vocal MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa.
In his inaugural speech, President Mnangagwa promised a lot from his government including reviving the economy and opening up the closed political space which was the order of the day during the former President, Robert Mugabe’s rule.
President Mnangagwa has through his social media platforms took the time to claim great strides have been made by his current government in the last two years but the reality has betrayed these claims.
In reality, the two years for many is that nothing has changed and some are even arguing that if anything things have worsened. The economy is plummeting on a daily basis and the political space is shrinking.
Zimbabwe’s economy which President Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF led government promised to revive is further sinking. Hyperinflation is over 800% and basic goods have become out of reach for many who cannot even afford a loaf of bread.
Unemployment rate still stands at over 90%.
The Zimbabwean dollar was reintroduced in a knee jerk reaction without the proper fundamentals in place and today it is losing value each day currently trading at over 90 to the US dollar.
WFP Zimbabwe predicts that by end of the year over 8.6 million Zimbabweans will be food insecure.
Corruption has been rampant among top government officials and the government has continued with the catch and release syndrome.
This corruption has even gone so deep that it has crippled the already failing health sector where top officials such as former Minister of Health Obadiah Moyo was caught up in a corruption case involving procurement of Covid-19 material worth over US$60 million.
Obadiah Moyo is out enjoying while those who exposed the corruption or spoke out against corruption are incarcerated facing outrageous charges.
Corruption deals have been exposed in every sector including Command Agriculture and the public transport sector involving procurement of ZUPCO buses.
Nurses are on strike for almost 3 months now demanding better working conditions.
The political space promises that were made have not been honoured in any way.
ZANU-PF government is initiating massive Constitutional amendments meant to increase the power of the President. This is before the Constitution has been fully implemented itself and many laws have not been aligned to the new Constitution.
Massive clampdown of critical voices has continued if not increased. Many, including Hopewell Chin’ono, Jacob Ngarivhume and Job Sikhala among others have been arrested for simply speaking truth to power.
Simply put the space for dissent has been heavily restricted.
The military has without accountability so far killed over 20 people in broad daylight for simply demonstrating against the crisis in the country.
Abductions, torture and threats of opposition and human rights activists is on the rise.
In reality many do not see the light at the end of the tunnel under the current leadership. Mnangagwa’s term so far has been one characterised by failure.
Even people who used to defend him have increasingly become critical of his leadership including the recent revelation by the conversation between his advisor Kuda Tagwirei and staunch defender, Temba Mliswa.
The economy is in a bad shape and there has been no political reforms made.
The increasing voices speaking out both locally and internationally is testimony to the failures of the current leadership to deliver the better Zimbabwe many envision.
While government has continued with it’s propaganda of things improving, many citizens do not share the same opinion in reality.