MDC can revive a Zimbabwe in crisis

IN 2008, Nelson Mandela said there was a “tragic failure of leadership” in Zimbabwe. His words have never been truer than they are today.

Evidence of failure is everywhere. In March 1997, Zimbabwe launched Vision 2020. Among the promises were housing, health care, education and jobs for all by 2020.

Not one has been met. Our health care system is facing its worst crisis yet. Our schools are witnessing the highest dropout rate in our history. Unemployment is worsening, amid currency volatility and an unstable business environment. The UN says 90% of Zimbabwean children are experiencing malnutrition and stunted growth. This is a failure of leadership.

The 2018 election presented a chance to transition to a democratic leadership. That opportunity was stolen through a flawed election.

Before the election, our calls for electoral reforms were ignored. In the euphoria of Robert Mugabe’s ouster, many in the world and the region bought into Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruse. They were sold the lie that he would bring stability and change.

The murder of six civilians on August 1, 2018, and the deployment of the army in January last year, when at least 17 people were killed and many more wounded, revealed the true face of the regime.

Zimbabwe is facing a massive manmade hunger crisis. It is a broken and divided nation, led through fear and ruled through violence. The “New Dispensation”, “Open for Business” and “Second Republic” slogans ring hollow. It is the superficial rhetoric of a clueless administration, muddling through, directionless. No change can ever come under Zanu-pf, because the party will never change.

The Movement for Democratic Change has proved it can deliver real change. Our country did better when the MDC was in the government, and in charge of the Ministry of Finance.

When we entered the Government of National Unity in 2009, inflation had reached 500 billion percent. By the time the GNU ended in 2013, inflation was 1.63%. As soon as Zanu-pf was left to run the economy alone, inflation started rising. Annual inflation is well over 500%, and rising.

The economy had shrunk by 16.5% in 2008. Under the GNU, it grew by 5.4% in 2009, 11.4% in 2010, 9.3% in 2011 and 10.6% in 2012. As soon as GNU ended, the economy grew just 2.4% in 2014. Last year, the economy fell 7.5%.

Zimbabwe is not beyond redemption. Under the MDC’S Agenda 2020, our programme of action and peaceful resistance, we will work to deliver the legitimacy our country was denied, and the prosperity our people deserve.

This year, we will focus on a people’s government and reforms, a better life, the rule of law, defence of the constitution and fighting corruption. We will push for dialogue. This should lead to a National Transitional Authority, under which we would implement reforms, leading to credible elections. Only then can we move on.

The Zimbabwean crisis is no longer domestic, but regional. We are grateful to our neighbours for accommodating Zimbabweans, but none of them deserve to take on the burden of another country’s failure.

Hence our call for our neighbours, South Africa included, to intervene and help us talk and resolve the crisis.