A Country of Potential and Challenges
The air is dry, the dawn painted with red dust and smoke in the atmosphere. It's cold with frost on the ground, and the veld is dry but vibrant with color. Blue skies accompany mild temperatures during the day, and the landscape remains alive with a sense of anticipation. Many believe our weather is among the best in the world.
In addition to this, we have an incredible population. I often say that if you were to use the quality of our people as a criterion for choosing where to live, this would be the ideal place. On top of that, we possess more natural resources per capita than almost any other country. We have abundant basic metals and minerals, vast land suitable for agriculture, and sufficient water to make it productive. I recall an Israeli expert visiting Zimbabwe during a severe drought and remarking, “this is an agricultural paradise.”
So why are we in such a difficult situation? Despite a rebasing of our GDP to nearly US$50 billion, we are still poorer than we were in 1980. Life expectancy has also declined compared to that time, and educational standards are deeply concerning. Students leave school after up to ten years of education, yet many cannot read or perform basic numeracy. Why can we not feed our people? Why do we employ fewer adults in the formal sector than we did 45 years ago?
How have we become a country with millionaires and even billionaires while the majority of our population lives in extreme poverty? How have we become one of the most unequal societies in the world, where individuals drive some of the most expensive cars available? Just look at our cities, which resemble Hollywood, while millions lack decent housing and clean water.
How have we destroyed a national infrastructure that once supported safe roads, functional water systems, and a railway network that operated efficiently? Our national airline, once known for its safety record, no longer flies regularly. Hospitals lack the materials needed to maintain cleanliness and operate effectively. Confidence in our banks and currency—once the strongest in Africa—has been severely eroded. In 2008, we were declared a failed state, with the highest child mortality rate in the world and the highest maternal death rate globally.
What has happened?
It all comes down to leadership. Since 2017, this country has undergone significant changes that are not widely recognized internationally. We are now a more open society. Elections under Mr. Mugabe were more like democratic warfare, with no media freedom. His government eventually had to allow a GNU (Government of National Unity) to prevent further collapse. Some discipline has returned to our budget, and some stability has been restored to our money market, although we are still dollarized.
But it’s not enough. In 1980, China was poorer than Zimbabwe, with lower income per capita, lower life expectancy, and millions suffering from hunger. Politically isolated and emerging from an authoritarian socialist regime, China adopted three principles: meritocracy, pragmatism, and integrity. Following these, China grew faster than any other country in history, with its GDP per capita now ten times that of Zimbabwe. Poverty has been eradicated, and China is now the second-largest economy in the world, growing three times faster than Western nations.
Ethiopia, once a symbol of hunger and starvation, is now stable, with an economy growing faster than any other in the world. It has become a major exporter to Europe and African states. What changed? New leadership applied the same simple rules that led to success in other countries. As Deng Xiaoping famously said, “It does not matter what the color of the cat is, as long as it catches mice.”
Zimbabwe is a rich country, made poor by poor governance. The opposition has controlled the cities since 2000 but has also performed poorly. Local government plays a crucial role in delivering basic services and improving quality of life, yet central government has similarly failed. Corruption is widespread, smuggling is out of control, and decision-making at every level is hindered by vested interests. Shrinking revenue streams are crippling public services.
Government employment is inflated, and civil servants are underpaid. Migration continues, draining the country of skills and experience. A third of our population now lives and works abroad, with the diaspora earning more in salaries and income than our national GDP. Without their support, we would be in dire straits.
However, a group of oligarchs now holds disproportionate influence over national affairs. In South Africa, the Guptas used the Office of the President to exert control over the government and exploit the state for personal gain—a phenomenon called “State Capture.” A similar situation is emerging in the U.S., though less publicly visible.
This shift has turned the liberation struggle upside down, creating a society more unequal and unjust than during the apartheid era. The social ideals of our independence and majority rule have been undermined. Inequality dominates, and those with excessive wealth wield disproportionate influence. Tenders are awarded without regard to capability, and cash payments are made without oversight.
People with no evidence of productive activity or enterprise live lavishly. We are major gold producers, but 80% of the income is sent abroad. We produce chrome, lithium, and other critical minerals, which are exported and under-invoiced. Major contracts are issued without proper procedures, often at triple the cost and sometimes not delivered at all.
This is nearly complete chaos, yet little is done to address it. In South Africa, an investigation into State Capture resulted in a report on crime and corruption, but no prosecutions followed. Here, even allegations are not investigated.
Cry our beloved country, this beautiful land inhabited by gentle and special people with great potential. What is missing is real leadership, but spring is coming.