AS Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops so eloquently warned this week, the country is doomed if the scourge of corruption remains unchecked.
The harsh reality is that while ministers and sympathisers of the ruling Zanu PF party revel in luxury, millions of Zimbabweans stand at a crossroads, trapped in deepening poverty. Many struggle to afford even a single meal per day. Their hospitals are crumbling — devoid of medicine, equipment, and hope. Their public schools are in ruins, failing the very children who should be the nation’s future.
The bishops’ pastoral letter is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to address the root causes of poverty and inequality.
It is also a wake-up call for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take a firm stand against the corruption that continues to drain the country’s resources.
Yet, instead of prioritising the bread-and-butter issues affecting ordinary citizens, Zanu PF’s upper echelons have fixated on an unconstitutional bid to extend Mnangagwa’s term from 2028 to 2030, an outrageous assault on the rule of law. This is a reckless diversion from the real crises gripping the nation. Zimbabwe is on its knees.
The next elections are three years away, yet political elites have already begun manipulating the system to secure their futures, rather than focusing on fixing a broken economy and a decaying society.
Corruption is not only rampant but completely out of control, as the bishops have rightly pointed out.
It festers across every sector, bleeding the nation dry. What is most appalling is that the corrupt are rewarded and remain untouched, while the suffering masses continue to bear the brunt of economic mismanagement.
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The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) must shake itself out of its deep slumber. It was not established to be a spectator, but to hold the corrupt to account.
Its executives, who enjoy lavish perks and drive luxury vehicles, must justify their existence. If they were doing their job, even the bishops would not have needed to raise alarm.
The widening gulf between the rich and the poor is a stark reminder of the government’s failure to promote the common good. Mnangagwa must take bold, concrete steps to strengthen institutions that enforce accountability. His administration must establish robust protection for whistle-blowers and implement economic reforms that generate jobs, reduce poverty, and improve access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
Thus far, his government has failed dismally. This is unacceptable.
Mnangagwa must listen to the voices of the people and engage in meaningful dialogue with civil society, opposition parties, and other key stakeholders. More importantly, the government must undergo a fundamental transformation — one that moves beyond rhetoric and embraces real change for the good of all Zimbabweans.
The time for empty promises is over. The time for action is now. Mnangagwa must decisively tackle corruption, revive the economy, and uplift the lives of the people. Anything less is a betrayal of the nation.
