By IDT
Opinion – As Zimbabwe marks 45 years of independence, the occasion demands sober reflection rather than hollow celebration.
While the nation freed itself from British colonial rule on 18 April 1980, the promises of prosperity, equity, and democracy remain unfulfilled for the majority.
The euphoria in 1980 was grounded in genuine hope. Zimbabwe inherited a relatively stable economy, a skilled workforce, and robust social services.
Robert Mugabe’s calls for reconciliation won international admiration. However, beneath the surface, the seeds of authoritarianism and elite capture were already being sown.
The Gukurahundi massacres of the early 1980s, in which an estimated 20,000 civilians were killed in Matabeleland, exposed the regime’s ruthless intolerance for dissent.
Committed under the guise of national security, these atrocities marked the beginning of a political culture rooted in fear and suppression.
Power consolidation continued through the 1990s, as the economy began its slow collapse.
Unfunded war veteran payouts in 1997 triggered turmoil, setting the stage for the hyperinflation of the 2000s.
Then came the fast-track land reform — a necessary redress executed with violent haste and no economic foresight.
Productive farms were handed to political allies lacking support or experience, turning the breadbasket of Africa into a land of queues and food aid.
The economy unravelled further. By 2008, Zimbabwe had become infamous for printing one hundred trillion dollar notes.
Pensions, salaries, and savings were rendered worthless overnight. Millions fled.
The social contract between state and citizen disintegrated.
A brief respite came with the Government of National Unity (2009–2013), but Zanu PF swiftly reclaimed control.
Under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who rose to power via a military coup in 2017, promises of reform have faded into a familiar fog of repression, patronage, and populist rhetoric.
Today, the economy is effectively run by cartels, entrenched through patronage networks.
Figures like Kuda Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivayo, and Scott Sakupwanya symbolise elite wealth in a nation where millions go hungry.
State tenders are inflated, public funds diverted, and key sectors like mining, agriculture and energy monopolised.
The failure to establish a productive industrial base over the past three decades has severely hindered economic stability.
Without investment in key industries, the informal sector has ballooned, contributing little to the fiscus.
Without a functioning economy, people cannot pay taxes — and without tax revenue, the government cannot operate effectively.
The limited taxes collected from struggling individuals are nowhere near enough to sustain the system.
The political opposition fares no better. Leaders such as Job Sikhala, Jacob Ngarivhume, and Jameson Timba have been jailed, harassed, or sidelined through legal gymnastics.
Following the 2023 elections, self-proclaimed CCC interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu emerged from obscurity and began recalling opposition MPs.
A strong, independent judiciary, free from political interference, could have prevented this.
As the situation worsens, increasing numbers are leaving the country.
Families are being torn apart, and in some cases, children left to fend for themselves.
Amid this crisis, a wave of false prophets has emerged, preying on desperate citizens and compounding their misery.
The political leadership has failed to address core economic challenges.
Without resolving the political crisis—which continues to breed illegitimacy—we cannot hope to reverse the economic decline.
Meanwhile, the much-hailed “Look East”policy has ushered in another form of exploitation.
Chinese firms, often backed by political allies, extract resources with scant regard for environmental or social consequences.
Villagers are displaced, landscapes scarred, and labour rights ignored.
The degradation and loss of ancestral lands offer a cruel echo of colonial dispossession.
At 45, Zimbabwe is a cautionary tale — a nation where liberation was captured, economic justice traded for patronage, and political independence became a tool for repression.
Independence must mean more than a flag and a national anthem — it must be reflected in the lives of ordinary citizens.
Until then, Zimbabwe remains free in name, but not in practice.
