WHEN A GOVERNMENT CELEBRATES FAILURE

Something is very wrong in Zimbabwe. The government is celebrating something that should never be celebrated. They are happy because Zimbabwe has been named the fifth-largest economy in the region. But what they don’t say is that Zimbabwe used to be the second-largest and most industrialised country in sub-Saharan Africa, after South Africa. Now we are number five, and they are smiling about it. This is what failure looks like when it is dressed in lies.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given new figures. According to their 2024 numbers, South Africa is number one with a GDP of US$400 billion. Angola is second with US$115 billion. Tanzania is third with US$80 billion. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is fourth with US$71 billion. And Zimbabwe is number five. The government of Zimbabwe is excited about this. They are celebrating as if we have achieved something big. But in truth, this shows how far we have fallen.

In the past, Zimbabwe was known as the breadbasket of Africa. We had industries, we had jobs, and we had working systems. Our economy was strong. Many people from other countries came to Zimbabwe to find work and a better life. Today, Zimbabweans are the ones running away to other countries. Our young people are in South Africa, Botswana, the UK, and many other countries trying to survive. This is not something to celebrate.

What is even more painful is that the leaders do not want to take responsibility. They want to pretend like this is progress. They act like being number five is better than being number two. They forget that Zimbabwe used to have strong industries in Bulawayo, Harare, and Mutare. Our factories used to produce goods for the whole region. Now, most of those factories are closed. We are importing even simple things like tomatoes and onions. How can a country that once exported food now celebrate being a buyer of food?

ZANU PF has destroyed this country. They have destroyed the dreams of millions of Zimbabweans. Instead of building industries and creating jobs, they have focused on power, corruption, and lies. They steal elections, silence people who speak the truth, and abuse state resources. Now they want us to clap hands because we are number five. This is shameful.

Let us not forget what we lost. Let us remember that we had working hospitals, good schools, clean cities, and strong money. Today, our hospitals have no medicine. Our teachers are underpaid. Our roads are full of potholes. Our money is not trusted. The Zimdollar is a joke. And still, the leaders find reasons to celebrate. What kind of leaders do that?

They are using GDP figures to confuse the people. But GDP means nothing to someone who sleeps hungry. It means nothing to a young graduate who has no job. It means nothing to a mother who gives birth on the floor because there are no hospital beds. Real progress is not in numbers. Real progress is in people’s lives. And the truth is, life in Zimbabwe is hard.

We should not be fooled. The celebration is not for us. It is for the corrupt leaders who continue to benefit while the rest suffer. They want to control the story. They want the world to think things are improving. But we know the truth. The truth is on the streets, in the homes, in the schools, and in the clinics. The truth is that Zimbabwe is not working.

Let us speak up. Let us tell the world that we are not proud of being number five. We want to be number one again. We want to work, eat, and live in peace. We want a government that works for the people. Until then, we must not celebrate. Because there is nothing to celebrate when a government celebrates failure.