Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs. It is near impossible to do business in a pariah state and hence the reason Zimbabwe’s economy has been in decline for all the decades of Zanu PF misrule.
Mnangagwa saw the need for Zimbabwe to shed off its Banana Republic image as a pre-requisite to economic re-engagement and recovery when he seized power in the November 2017 military coup. He promised to end corruption and, most important of all hold free, fair and credible elections and thus end the curse of rigged elections.
Sadly, Mnangagwa has failed to keep any of his promises. Corruption is still rampant. He looked sheepishly foolish the other day when he was asked to explain the rational behind the latest anti-corruption gimmick of “arrest and release!” By blatantly rigging the July 2018 elections Mnangagwa has firmly confirmed that Zimbabwe is still very much a pariah state of Mugabe days.
A few people have been saying that as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state, there will be no meaningful economic recovery. The facts on the ground are proving them right.
“A top economist says industrial capacity utilisation could decline to 27 % this year if government does not take a step to dumping its destructive policies,” reported New Zimbabwe.
“According to the report, capacity utilisation declined by 11.8 % to 36.4% in 2019, down from 48.2% that was recorded in 2018.”
Other economic indicators such as the hyperinflation that has soared to 500% plus all point to one thing, the Zimbabwe economy is sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss.
The consequences of the worsening economic situation is the collapse of basic services such as education and health care. According to a recent WB report, 34% of Zimbabweans now live in extreme poverty the corresponding figure in countries in the region is less than 10%.
The worsen economic meltdown in Zimbabwe is serious and its consequences of the people’s lives is intolerable. The situation cannot be allowed to continue.
This Zanu PF regime is under the erroneous impress the country’s economy can and will revive regardless of the country remaining a pariah state. Or, at the very least, that by implementing the reforms, the regime is doing something to end the pariah state status.
The EU’s decision to take off everyone except Zimbabwe Defence Industry off the sanctions list has encouraged Zanu PF to believe the country will soon be free of the cursed pariah state label although. Nothing could be more further from the truth!
Zanu PF has not implemented even one meaningful reform in the last 18 months since the rigged July 2018 elections. Indeed, President Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF colleagues insist that the 2018 elections were free, fair and credible proof they are paying lip service to reforms.
So whilst Zanu PF remains in power Zimbabwe will remain a pariah state because, even if Zanu PF was implementing the reforms, the party will remain illegitimate by virtue of getting into power through the rigged 2018 elections. And, with no reforms in place, Zanu PF is certain to rig the 2023 elections and Zimbabwe will be a pariah state post 2023!
It is worth repeating again, that as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs; economic recovery will remain a mirage!
Since Zanu PF will never implement any reforms, the only alternative is to appoint an independent body that will carry out this important task.
The mere appointment of the body to replace the illegitimate Zanu PF regime will prove the acknowledgement the July 2018 elections were rigged and the willingness to address this thorny issue decisively. This will go a long way to restore investor and lender confidence in a democratic Zimbabwe emerging at the end of the day and thus confidence to do busy going forward.
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