Zimbabweans were sold a dummy

IN 2018, some months after the 2017 coup, people were still coming to terms with the fact that the late former President Robert Mugabe, the once powerful leader who ruled with iron fist, had been dethroned.

Many people voted for President Emmerson Mnangagwa thinking he would do better than Mugabe as many thought he had learnt from and would correct his predecessor’s weaknesses.

Most Zimbabweans wanted to give him a chance and there were high hopes that he could turn the economic crisis into good fortunes.

Unfortunately, Mnangagwa has proven to be a monumental failure and a very big disappointment to the whole nation.

He came up with catchy phrases like “the voice of the people is the voice of God and I am as soft as wool”, but a year down the lane, the man failed to live up to his words. He started showing his true colours.

Since the coup, a lot of people have been victimised, both former members of his political party and in the opposition.

More of his party members are likely to be purged because he wants to have full control of the party.

People have lost trust and confidence in government and even civil servants are quitting their jobs in numbers, especially from the healthcare sector, where nurses have left for greener pastures.

The regime was warned that the country was going to lose healthcare workers because they were being paid nuts.

There is really nothing to write home about this second republic as it lacks qualities of governance and leadership. Incompetence is the order of the day.

The second republic was just a fraud, where the public was sold a dummy. It has dismally failed to deal with the scourge of corruption, which has its deep roots in many government institutions.

The accountability apparatus stopped working a long time ago.

The country has continued on a path of international isolation due to lack of political reforms.

Business tenders are awarded to friends, family and a few who are loyal to the ruling party. Plundering of natural resources is continuing unabated.

People are being displaced to pave way for those with the financial muscle to take over.

Clansmanship is prevalent in this second republic, with very incompetent people taking positions of influence.

There are no jobs and young people are jumping borders to seek greener pastures. It has created more economic refugees than employment. The system is just disheartening.

The regime always blames sanctions for its failures, but loots the country dry, not even caring that what it looted is more than enough.

Those in power live lavishly and buy posh cars for themselves and their girlfriends. Even their children roll around in top-of-therange cars.

Zanu PF is full of looters. They have looted the country dry and want to continue doing so through this so-called second republic.

For nearly four decades, the ruling party has done enough for the country to be labelled a failed State.

It has failed to breathe life into the economy and has become one of the most broken, dysfunctional, toxic systems in the world.

Anyone who complains against bad governance is punished ruthlessly by the regime. Democratic space has been choked.

The level of abuse of teachers, who are complaining about poor salaries, is another cause for concern.

After being illegally arrested, the regime forced them to move around in leg irons, which is a sign of oppression and repression.

Leonard Koni