Zim at 41: A mature democracy back on the rails

18 Apr, 2021 - 00:04 0 Views
Zim at 41: A mature democracy back on the rails

The Sunday Mail

Senior Reporter

It is often said life begins at 40, and Zimbabwe turns 41 today. It is a sign of maturity.

The Zimbabwe Constitution considers one who would have turned 40 as mature enough to run for the highest office in the land — the presidency.

Countries, by virtue of carrying the collective aspirations of their citizens, have similar lives to human beings.

They are born, they grow and they have a soul.

However, a nation State is a modern political system in which a people share the same culture, beliefs and vision.

Due to the inevitable passage of time, the storied history of a country cannot be compressed into a single narrative.

At Independence in 1980, Zimbabwe reclaimed political power, but the contentious question of repossessing land, most of which lay in the hands of a few whites, remained unanswered.

The importance of land as a symbol of nationhood and a critical means of sustenance cannot be overemphasised.

There are four factors of production — capital, enterprise, land and labour.

But land is the primary means of production.

Getting back the land was not easy.

It earned Zimbabwe the wrath of the West, which imposed sanctions at the turn of the millennium.

The embargo, which is enforced through Washington’s Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) and other measures by Britain and the European Union bloc, had a deleterious impact on the economy.

Although Zimbabwe remained resilient, inertia set in.

Turning Point

But the turning point was November 2017, which led to the birth of the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa through Operation Restore Legacy.

The new administration brought with it hope of improved standards of living, more jobs, and economic stability and growth.

Production has taken centre stage in national discourse and re-engagement is now being pursued to integrate Zimbabwe in the global family of nations.

Part of the deliberate initiatives by the new Government to restore the country’s legacy has been re-introducing the local currency not only to assert its sovereignty but create conducive conditions for growth.

US-based political scientist Professor Benjamin Cohen has always pointed out the effects of dollarisation.

“The more critical disadvantages of dollarisation are political, not economic, involving losses of a powerful symbol of national identity, an emergency source of state revenue, and an important measure of diplomatic insulation. Though frequently discounted by economists, who are inclined to view political behaviour as mostly interest-driven or even ‘irrational,’ these are in fact the costs that are likely to matter most in practice,” he said.

Although the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar was initially resisted, its impact is now telling.

Inflation has been tamed, while local companies are now more competitive in the region.

Exports have risen.

Zimbabwe is now pursuing a reform agenda.

There has been a lot of noticeable changes.

The airwaves were recently opened up to more players through the issuance of television licences, which broke the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority’s 64-year-old monopoly.

New community stations have also been licensed.

The contentious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), among many other laws, has been repealed.

It shows that Zimbabwe, at 41, is now mature enough to accommodate diversity and plurality.

Increased focus on improving people’s livelihoods has been encouraging.

Roads are being refurbished, while new energy infrastructure and dams are being constructed using local resources.

Incredible progress has been made on the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, which has been in the pipeline for decades.

About 160 kilometres have already been spruced up by local companies.

Being the busiest highway in the country, linking Zimbabwe and its biggest trading partner South Africa, the trickle down effects of the move are not too difficult to imagine.

The tide has changed.

The Transitional Stabilisation Programme has stabilised the economy and set it on a growth path.

The National Development Strategy 1 is, therefore, expected to guide growth going forward.

At 41, Zimbabwe is clearly back on the rails and on the right path.

 

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