ZANU PF supporters arrive at a school where President Emmerson Mnangagwa held his last campaign rally ahead of the polls on August 19, 2023 in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. Against a backdrop of one of the world's highest rates of inflation, Zimbabweans will head to the polls on August 23rd. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has approved 12 candidates. (Photo by Tafadzwa Ufumeli/Getty Images)
Zimbabwe’s general elections set for Wednesday, August 23, could be seen as a chance of a lifetime to bring about real change. Zimbabweans think they are suffering because of Western sanctions that are directly associated with the Zanu-PF regime, which has ruled that mineral wealthy country since independence in 1980.
After so many years, the interests of the West in Zimbabwe have not changed. Their goal has always been to control the means of production. The ordinary people of Zimbabwe have to pay the unbearable price just to get by. The country’s economy is in free fall and has been for many years now. The currency is worthless with skyrocketing inflation, the cost of living is on a constant rise and governance institutions have collapsed. The people on the receiving end of all these terrible conditions have, in huge numbers, fled the country to survive.
Once called the Breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe is a place of shame. Many of its people are now beggars in foreign lands. They have been stripped of their dignity and pride. The weight of suffering at home by their family and relatives brings them down. These people are among the most educated on the continent, and at the same time jealously guard their traditions and culture. These are the people who have now been deprived of their inheritance, and their rights to live in their own country without worrying about what to eat tomorrow.
The curse of false leaders has befallen the people of Zimbabwe since the liberation movement. It will take more than just voting to correct the errors of this land. It may take generations to bring back the glory of the mighty Zimbabwe. The country once had the cleanest capital city in sub-Saharan Africa. A country which had thriving industries, farms, and factories that provided countless jobs for its people, is now a place of ghost towns and cities everywhere.
The people’s predicaments are as real as the rising sun. They want to believe what their leaders tell them about sanctions, a narrative amplified by the ruling class stating that the sufferings of the poor majority are as a result of Western sanctions. But, when people examine this narrative they see the same leaders living in luxury in the same country. It is extremely difficult for the people to trust the leaders who preside over them.
Because people have suffered for so long, it’s only natural that most dream of any alternative to the reign of Zanu-PF. They are looking for a “Messiah” — anyone who will rescue them from the shackles of poverty.
Let’s bear in mind that change can be no change at all. Zambia had a change in government after the August 2021 elections. The first thing it did was to give tax holidays to mining companies at the expense of taxpayers, who really needed a break. The same mining companies are suspected of having sponsored the opposition political party that came into power and needed some sort of compensation. The cost of living in Zambia keeps going up, with rising prices in basic commodities, amid high levels of unemployment among the youth. Today, no single Zambian can say that life is better now that it was prior to the general elections held exactly two years ago.
These experiences in Zimbabwe’s neighbouring country, do not suggest that Zimbabweans do not deserve change or should not vote for real change. If anything, this is a lesson for them not to make a similar mistake and choose political leaders based on emotions, rather than common sense.
The predictable outcome of Zimbabwe’s election has two possible outcomes. The first, which is likely the one, will be an outright win for Zanu-PF. The ruling party’s determination to retain power is unquestionable. The president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Emerson Mnangagwa, is fixed on securing a second term for himself and his party. The only other possible scenario is that the ruling party may deliberately create a situation similar to that of 2008 disputed elections, which led to a government of national unity. Under the prevailing circumstances, it is difficult to picture an outright win for any opposition political party, including the most popular one, Citizens Coalition for Change led by Nelson Chamisa. Despite every effort by opposition parties, the old guards are hell bent to keep the status quo.
Aaron Ng’ambi is a geopolitical analyst and newspaper columnist, leadership instructor, and a social entrepreneur.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Mail & Guardian.