Understanding Zimbabwe's political economy: Most Zimbabweans know what is now necessary: they know that ZANU (PF) is no longer relevant as the country needs a second transition

All is not as it seems on the surface. I have had the opportunity of engaging several individuals on the political economy of Zimbabwe, and am beginning to have a deeper understanding on what is the root cause of our pedestrian movement towards the logical establishment of a new democracy. It is as if everyone knows what must be done and yet somehow, we remain backward and living in the past.

My observations are simply that we have a fundamental problem of war psychology especially within the army the police force and, to limited extent, within ZANU (PF) leadership. This war psychology is based on the belief that those who "participated' in the war and are in leadership cannot be challenged and must have unfettered access to national resources. That, if challenged by better ideas or smarter Zimbabweans, as is the case now, they must refer to the past and if necessary, to the AK 47 as that is the only tool that they have in order to retain their advantageous positions.

This war psychology has remained dormant in the minds of those that wield power today in Zimbabwe, because they do not know better and more important, were never counseled after the trauma of the bush war. After all, their life experience has been from poverty and herding cattle in the rural areas, to the bush and to power and material accumulation.

In our political leadership today, are opportunists, who have taken full advantage of their so called war credentials as their right to govern. These are the individuals who are neither necessarily highly educated nor articulate. They are not exposed to modern democracy nor do they under stand economics and can only rely on past violence and threats in order to protect whatever wealth the may have acquired since our independence. They do not count many, but have usurped political power and are unfortunately the very individuals who are arresting progress in Zimbabwe

I have had some fascinating conversations with those who were directly involved in the liberation struggle, not the technocrats who rule today, give fiery political speeches but never fired a gun during the liberation struggle but claim that they liberated us. You see, a significant number of patriotic Zimbabweans who voluntarily participated in the armed struggle never anticipated that our country would deteriorate to this level. They are truly forgotten heroes and heroines who risked everything they had in order to liberate all Zimbabweans and are today still traumatized by their war experience.

They would never wish their experience on anyone, nor would they go back to the bush. These heroes and heroines truly feel that the ZANU (PF) we see today has lost relevance in what they sought to achieve by going to war. The tragedy is that, they have been sidelined by street smart opportunist who really never sacrificed much for this country but came up the ranks of ZANU (PF) in the post liberation phase. They have no context of the past nor do they have the genuine interests of the country.

Most Zimbabweans know what is now necessary; they know that ZANU (PF) is no longer relevant as the country needs a second transition. A transition from a liberation struggle psychology to a modern economy driven by professionals and managed using modern ideas and technology.

Unfortunately today we suffer a few fools who cannot see that change is inevitable. They will stall the inevitable as much as possible; they will pretend that there is nothing wrong with Zimbabwe and yet deep down they are driven by fear. Until we can isolate them and expose them, and thereby weaken their hold on the minds of ZANU (PF) we are bound to have a political economy full of uncertainty, characterized by the illogical expedient politics that continue to delay us in modernizing Zimbabwe.

The few terrible men and women holding us back cannot see a successful dispensation in Zimbabwe without them and would be happy to eradicate all opportunity and hope, as long as they can hold onto the past and the material wealth that they have achieved beyond their wildest dreams. In my opinion, these degenerates are suffering mentally and emotionally and need professional help.

We must plod on and continue to challenge the status quo simply because we have no choice, Zimbabweans deserve better.

Vince Musewe is an independent economist and you may contact him on [email protected]

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