Chronicle Editor
Masimba Mavaza
President Mnangagwa has proved the world wrong. The world expected to see Zimbabwe crumble into the dust and become obsolete. But true to his word President Mnangagwa has sharply departed from a rule by force to a very open democratic space. He told the country on his Inauguration Day that he will be hitting the ground running.
He managed to extricate himself from the strings of the first dispensation to a new path in the second dispensation. Zimbabweans have seen that after 56 years of working under the late former President Mugabe ED finally broke free from the ambit of his master and successfully established himself in three years. This means that in 2023 ED will have to be elected so that he finishes the work he has started.
Contrary to what the detractors say President Mnangagwa has achieved great things for the nation in a short period and deserves a second chance. November 2017 has become a month that will be remembered worldwide as a month of the second Zimbabwe emancipation. The people of Zimbabwe saw the resignation of the man who had graced the space for over 37 years. His departure was greeted with mixed feelings. ED has now occupied the space as the President of Zimbabwe, as the President of Zimbabwe is about to finish his third year in the office. President Mnangagwa showed great humility as he mingled with people of all walks. He has met prophets, comedians and different people across the divide. Even Passion Java and Abel Angel were privileged to meet him few times.
It is therefore, difficult to be in ED’s shoes this time in Zimbabwe. Every gesture he takes is compared to the former. So his first year in office has been a year of serious comparisons. Nothing he did or did not do would not be compared to the former. Without respecting the political correctness ED is not an orator as Mugabe was, but ED is a doer and he means his words. His actions speak more eloquently than the spoken words. In that comparison mood I should say I was very lucky to have met the two presidents one-on-one. In that respect, my comments on both are based on my personal interactions with both. The three years in office were, in any language on earth, successful and eventful years. It has put the nation on a progressive path.
We should state that ED had an enormous privilege and honour to be trusted with the government of this country and he is deeply conscious of that privilege and honour at this time. While he leads the nation he as well leads Zanu-PF the ruling party and the party of the people. Zanu-PF has been transformed in serious positive ways. Unlike the opposition parties which could not keep their parties united, ED has united Zanu-PF in times which were very difficult.
While ED concentrates on delivering to the nation, he is faced with the gigantic task of winning the economy.
Zanu-PF set its priority on the economy and on the people while the coalition of the opposition rushed to America to beg for more sanctions. The past three years in office have seen a great change in the political landscape. ED managed to hold free and fair elections. It was the first of its kind where people chose and campaigned for the parties they wanted without fear. This means the nation must give him another chance in 2023 to finish what he has started.
These three years are the years when ED played economy and not politics. It should be noted that ED is not Mugabe, people are comparing how Mugabe would have reacted in this situation. It is high time people should allow President Mnangagwa to be himself. Addressing the nation is not more important than addressing the problems. President Mnangagwa is a quiet person who only opens his mouth when he has things under control.
Unlike the prayers of MDC pastor leader that the economy be sprayed with sand surely to his prayers America agreed with Nelson Chamisa to extend the suffering of the populace of Zimbabwe. The trip of shame by Chamisa and his shameless team is causing more suffering to Zimbabweans. Again to try and force the people to rebel against Zanu-PF MDC and it’s leaders is doing everything to sabotage the economy.
It is clear witchcraft that the way Zimbabweans have suffered and that ED is fighting to lift the lives of many up the opposition wedges an anchor to keep the people of Zimbabwe in poverty. Who in his wisdom goes around begging for sanctions against his own country? Who feigns kidnap and prays to the outside world to punish Zimbabwe? Logic and experience must tell us that it is the grass that suffers when two elephants fight.
Chamisa told the nation that (then US President Donald) Trump promised him US$15 billion if he sells out. He begged the nation to betray the freedom by voting him in.
Who in his senses can vote for those holding you at ransom? Those who promise to throttle you until you vote them in? The opposition is irresponsible and totally inhuman. Now they are celebrating that Zimbabweans are suffering.
We should say this word about our opponents in the election, even though obviously we profoundly disagreed with many of the things they may have said during the course of this campaign, we hope they must show extraordinary stoicism and resilience in very difficult circumstances and we say to them never sell your country for power like Chamisa and his bandits.
2018 was a remarkable and historic victory for our party Zanu-PF but Zanu-PF is in no doubt at all as to what it means.
Soon after elections our economy took a dip to the amusement of the opposition. It is only a fool who celebrates when the house is on fire.
The first year in office has brought in sharp difficulties to the people. Price hikes, food shortages and cash shortages. These are only birth pains. The sufferings are the foundations of prosperity and national development.
ED was given a mandate for reform and for investment in the future and it is also very clearly an instruction to deliver.
Zanu-PF has learnt many things over the past 41 years, now it is a changed outfit. People voted for experience, not for excitement. Zanu-PF has learnt from the mistakes as well as the good things.
But above all else Zanu-PF has learnt of the importance of establishing the clear priorities of Government, of setting them out clearly for people and then focusing on them relentlessly whatever events may come and go.
We believe there is an even greater obligation on us, on ED to tell people very clearly what are the difficult choices and challenges we face and how we work our way through them and that we will try to do. The problems we are seeing now we will not see them again.
On the foundation of a weak economy, we need to make it strong. We need to make sure that our economy will be as strong as possible.
This President Mnangagwa has shown that this will be possible if you can give him a chance.
But then on top of that we need to start building the economy of the future based on skills and talents and education and the application of technology, knowing that for this country in the future the forces of global competition and technological change mean that we can only compete on the basis of skill and ability, not low wages.
And then, we have the critical importance of investment in, and reform of, our public services, most particularly our health service, our education system and our transport system.
Again here, from talking to people, from meeting them, from hearing their concerns over the past three years that they may applaud the direction in which we wish to go, but they want us to do it as fast and as profoundly as we possibly can and that again is an obligation that we must discharge. Zanu-PF has that stamina and is there for reliability.
In our welfare system we need change too. We need to create employment and make those able busy bodies.
Then there is the reform of our criminal justice system. There is no issue that touches our citizens more deeply than crime and law and order on our streets and we need to make the changes there so that we have a criminal justice system that punishes the criminal, but also offers those convicted of crime the chance to rehabilitate and get their way out of a life of crime. President Mnangagwa has clearly frowned at the catch and release system. Through his guidance corruption has met an equal opponent and people are being arrested and being tried.
This president is the man of his word and 2023 must be given to him.
Zanu-PF has started a serious war on corruption. These three years have seen high-profile arrests. There was a prosecutorial shake-up which positions our justice system to an efficient discharge of their duties. It needs to revamp the prosecution department to make it able to deal with the criminals in order to instil confidence in our justice system.
The arrest of high-profile figures has shown that ED does not only talk but surely he hits the ground running.
He has instituted drastic changes in our economy. This might have a gloomy and painful road but a bright and beautiful ending.
These changes will not be easy. But Zimbabwe is a very special country and its people are very special people and our very best quality is our ability, when we need to do so, to face up to and overcome the challenge of change.
All those changes are for one purpose and that again is the purpose that was set out in the three years of leading and will try to set out again in the years to come.
And the purpose of each and every change that we make must be this — to create a society which is a genuinely open, meritocratic nation where we have laid to one side the old adage about knowing your place and where the only place that any man, woman or child knows is the place that their talents take them, where we create a country genuinely where not just a few people at the top, but everyone, every one of our citizens gets the chance to fulfil their true potential. Where you are given a job not because of where you come from.
The first year was for Zanu-PF to find itself and now is all out to put the country back to its economic glory. It will be painful but the nation must take solace in the fact that all good endings have bad starts.
Development has started, we must not disturb it by making unnecessary marches, protests and listening to inexperienced, untried clowns who are promised US$15 billion by Trump, now that Trump is gone where will Chamisa get the three billion he was campaigning on in 2018. What more lies will he tell the nation.
The life of our children is in our hands. It is in your hands. We must learn to swim with crocodiles in order to reach there. We have come this far by perseverance and we must have the strength of patience.
The first term of every president is categorised by pain and suffering. But it is beamed with rays of comfort to know that it is only a beginning which will come to an end.
The first term of ED ushers a lot of hope for or future our children. It has opened doors of investment. Zimbabwe is indeed open for business.
It is the first time in Zimbabwe that bigwigs are brought en masse to court to answer for their deeds.
After the disturbances of 1st August 2018 where six lives where lost. ED called all walks of social divide to a Commission of Inquiry. This is to show how open ED deals with sensitive issues. In one term he has opened closed doors, he has re-established the rule of law. In his leadership he has put Zimbabwe to its national status and claimed a place in the international arena.
ED’s first term in office has been a challenging one but a step in the right direction.
ED has pushed the construction of many roads, buildings, dams and indeed where ever you throw your eyes you will see development, development and development.
Please 2023 your vote must be for progress. 2023 ED must be given his second term and make Zimbabwe great again. So if you can not vote for ED 2023 then you have no reason to vote. [email protected]
Online Reporter