Online Reporter
Dorothy Sithole
As Zimbabwe pushes ahead with infrastructure development, industrialisation and investment promotion under the Second Republic, a parallel contest continues to unfold in the information space — one between those highlighting the country’s progress and those focusing on its challenges and shortcomings.
For supporters of the Government, the country’s story is increasingly one of roads being rebuilt, dams nearing completion, airports modernised and mining investments expanding. They argue that while criticism remains an important part of democratic discourse, some activists and opposition voices have become trapped in a cycle of portraying Zimbabwe solely through the lens of crisis and failure.
The Second Republic points to projects such as the modernisation of border infrastructure, the expansion of airports, dam construction programmes and major investments in mining and agriculture as evidence of a country moving steadily towards Vision 2030 and upper-middle-income status aspirations.
Recent developments in the mining sector, including expansion projects in gold and lithium, together with continued infrastructure investment, have been presented by Government as proof that Zimbabwe remains open for business and investment despite external scepticism.
Yet critics and activists continue to challenge official narratives, arguing that governance reforms and accountability remain equally important components of national development.
Some of these critics include Desmond Moyo, cousins Isaac Jambaya and Philemon Jambaya, Nkosilathi Mpofu, among others.
Isaac Jambaya has constantly been on straws with the police mainly because of his activism, at one point he relocated to South Africa and had recently returned to continue with his activism.
Desmond Moyo on the other hand is more active as a student activist, leading a number of campaigns from the University of Zimbabwe.
Their campaigns, many of them conducted through social media and diaspora networks, have become a permanent feature of Zimbabwe’s political landscape.
Political analysts note that activism in Zimbabwe has evolved significantly over the years, with figures such as Hopewell Chin’ono and other civic campaigners using digital platforms to influence public debate both locally and internationally.
However, supporters of the Government maintain that international perceptions of Zimbabwe will increasingly be shaped not by social media campaigns or political rhetoric but by tangible developments on the ground and improvements in infrastructure, production and service delivery.
They argue that roads, dams, schools, hospitals and investment projects provide a more enduring measure of national progress than online political contestation.
As Zimbabwe continues its development journey, the debate over the country’s image and trajectory is unlikely to disappear. What remains clear, however, is that both Government and its critics recognise the importance of the Zimbabwean story and the influence that perceptions can have on investment, tourism and international relations.
Ultimately, history may judge the competing narratives not by the intensity of the arguments but by the lived experiences of ordinary Zimbabweans and the measurable outcomes of policies implemented over time.
