….economic freedom has eluded ordinary citizens
By Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO – As the country celebrated 40 years of independence on April 18, analysts have said there was little to nothing worth celebrating as economic freedom continues to elude the general citizenry.
The national celebrations this year were taken to Murambinda in Buhera District of Manicaland province, away from the usual urban venues, running under the theme “Zim@44: Unity, Peace and Development towards Vision 2030”.
Analysts have however given a gloomy picture of the past 44 years, saying the country seems to be spiraling down in terms of economic growth as it is consistently being plagued by an assortment of challenges in that regard.
Youth Decide Zimbabwe (YDZ) team leader Learnmore Munhangu said independence without economic freedom was incomplete as witnessed by government’s failure to provide basic needs together with the country‘s fall from being the bread basket of Africa to being a ‘beggar’.
“Upon achieving independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was hailed as the breadbasket of Africa; however, it has since become a source of concern for the region. We, the youth, firmly believe that our current predicament is not a result of natural circumstances but rather the consequences of our nation’s failure to revolutionize the economy due to poor governance, corruption, and the pursuit of rent-seeking opportunities.
“We have observed a significant amount of policy inconsistency within an environment marred by distorted legislation and statutory chaos hence there is no independence to talk about. These challenges like unemployment, inflation, and the currency crisis can be effectively addressed through the implementation of consistent, inclusive, and progressive policies, coupled with sound governance practices.
“This was the true aim of the liberation struggle. After 44 years of independence, faced with these persistent issues, it is imperative for our government to engage in reflection and self-examination. If not, neither the deceased nor the surviving liberators of the war will witness the fruits of their labor, nor the current generation will have nothing to commemorate on Independence Day,” said Munhangu.
Great Zimbabwe University lecturer and political commentator Dr Last Alfandika said the 44 years were a missed opportunity for most Zimbabweans since the independence failed to transform the lives of ordinary citizens as witnessed by harsh economic hardships like unemployment and inflation, which have seen hordes of citizens leaving the country for greener pastures.
“Zimbabwe’s 44th anniversary of independence is a cause for reflection with both positive and negative aspects to consider. High unemployment, inflation, currency woes, and widespread poverty paint a difficult picture for many Zimbabweans. This raises a legitimate question: has independence translated into economic freedom for the ordinary citizen? In this regard, the 44 years might seem like a missed opportunity.
“As we look ahead, let’s not forget that Zimbabwe’s 44th independence is a milestone, but the economic challenges remain. The hope is that the celebrations will reignite a spirit of unity and a focus on building a more prosperous future for all Zimbabweans,” said Dr Alfandika.
He however said the past two year’s shift to celebrate the day in rural areas from Harare and other provincial capital cities could be a symbol of acknowledging that the struggles faced by the country are universal.
“Let me comment a bit on the independence celebrations which are traditionally done in Harare, the capital city, and provincial capitals like Masvingo. This year’s celebrations were in Murambinda for the national event and Chivi growth point for Masvingo province. This shift symbolizes a desire to share national pride beyond the capital. To me, it’s a great effort to unify the nation. It is a symbolic gesture, which seems to acknowledge the struggles faced by many Zimbabweans around the country, not just in Harare,” added Dr Alfandika.
International Media and Political Analyst Dr Wellington Gadzikwa said there was no economic freedom in Zimbabwe and the country still had a task to gain that independence and instead of fighting for it, many are opting to leave the country.
“Zimbabweans still have another hurdle to go past and realize economic stability and enjoy the benefits of independence when it becomes a reality. Economically, it is still a tall order for most Zimbabweans and if they are not in despair, then maybe they may have some energy to turn it around but most are choosing to leave the country which is sad because no one will attend to such issues except them.
“Economic freedom has eluded most ordinary people as whatever benefits of any growth is not trickling back to them,” said Dr Gadzikwa.
Veteran journalist and Sub-Saharan international media advisor Rashweat Mukundu said there was still a chance to reflect on what independence really provides since the majority of Zimbabweans are yet to realize the fruits of independence.
“We still have an opportunity to reflect on what Independence Day provides, it is an opportunity to reflect on what has worked and what has not worked 44 years after independence. Unfortunately, the majority of the people of Zimbabwe are yet to see the fruits of independence,” said Mukundu.
He said there were some efforts by the government but there was more regression than progress to meet the expectations of those who fought for the liberation of the country as many are still suffering like their parents and grandparents who participated in the war.
“There is every need to appreciate the sacrifices that were made by those who participated in the liberation of this country that on its own is not enough and should lead to the introspection of whether the intentions and aims of the revolution of the second Chimurenga were met.
“In some respects, I think there have been attempts to meet those expectations but in many ways there have been huge failures by the political leadership to lead Zimbabwe to full independence in terms of the capacity of family individuals to look after themselves, buy food, have access to health care and educational institutions that provide quality education, to have access to housing, clean water and infrastructure that facilitates business so looking back as we mark 44 years, I think there has been a notable regression in the realization of the dreams of the forebearers who led the struggle for independence,” added Mukundu.
Another commentator Dr Gift Gwindingwe said there was no economic independence but it was supposed to be looked at from a global perspective saying some of the economic challenges were caused by several factors including sanctions.
“My perception of independence is that it is realized in two folds, we have political or flag independence and economic independence. When we talk of total independence we should not look at it in isolation but at a global perspective. The political situation in each country is influenced by global activities.
“In Zimbabwe we may say we do not have economic independence but this must be looked at as a global activity. We don’t operate in isolation, we may need economic independence but the global systems that are in place come back at us and we are chained by factors like sanctions. So freedom itself is still being denied not solely because of mismanagement but also sanctions. We have twin evils acting on us, financial mismanagement on our part in the form of corruption and then sanctions,” said Dr Gwindingwe.
Since independence, Zimbabwe has had several economic policies which all failed on a larger part and did not result in any meaningful results, evidenced by inconsistent policy changes.
Some of the policies include the Feb-81 Growth with Equity (GWE) of 1981, the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) 1982-1985, the First Five Year National Development Plan (FFYNDP) 1985-1990, Economic Structural Development Programme (ESAP) 1991-1995 and Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST) 1996-2000.
At the turn of the millennium, there were also the Vision 2020 & Long Term Development Strategy of 1997-2020, Millennium Economic Recovery Programme (MERP) 2001-2002, National Economic Revival Programme (NERP) 2003-2004, Macro-Economic Policy Framework (MEPF) 2005-2006 and National Economic Development Priority Programme (NEDPP) 2006-2008.
Others followed, including the Zimbabwe Economic Development Strategy (ZEDS) 2007-2011, Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP I) 2009, Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP II) 2010-2012, Medium Term Plan (MTP) 2011-2015 and the popular Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET) 2013-2018.
Almost all of these policies have nothing to their credit, with nothing being realized from them in terms of economic recovery and freedom for the Zimbabwean majority.
