Zimbabwe appears to be hurtling down the abyss.
This seems to be the state of affairs, with violence erupting at football stadiums, in prison and at universities, showing that people are on the edge.
All the while, the ruling Zanu PF party is preoccupied with internal power struggles and entrenching more power with talk already that they intend to massively change the Constitution.
Politicking has overshadowed everything else for the past six months since First Lady Grace Mugabe made her entry into politics, crushing everything in her way.
There were a few, if any, takers when President Robert Mugabe recently said he was suffering hardship like everybody else, barely affording to have a decent meal. That is not possible on his salary of $12 000, apparently ungazetted.
It not only beggars belief, but is an insult to the long-suffering overwhelming majority who have to make do with a paltry $200 a month or less.
There has been dereliction of duty and contempt for the people. There is no central government to talk about administratively; its only presence is political, but people don’t eat politics. It has become an absentee government.
Revenue is being intercepted on the roads, in offices — you name it — before it reaches government. There is no meaningful role anymore for Treasury as the Consolidated Revenue Fund is hardly being filled.
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The economy has been reduced to a casino one. Economist John Robertson summed it all up succinctly this week. He hit the nail right on the hand pertaining to the malaise and scandals rocking many of the indigenous-owned banks as reflective of the general state of affairs.
Robertson said the bank owners were “devouring their own children (clients)”, as reported in our sister paper Southern Eye. “Leaders agreed to personally borrow from their own institutions and managers would even borrow to build houses; discipline in the sector was eroded by the structure of banking,” he said.
The story is the same in all the economic sectors. The parlous state of most local banks is symptomatic of this mighty mess. There is no form or shape. It has become a free-for-all. The sanctions mantra will not wash in the face of all this evidence.
Leadership is seriously lacking when the situation is calling for bold, decisive, nation-centred action. The situation calls for new focus, new sense of purpose and renewed urgency. But all we have been having is more of the same corruption, misgovernance and lethargy despite the rising temperature among the people.
Tension which has been simmering for too long could boil over. It is not a law and order issue, but one of empathetic responsiveness from those in government before it’s too late.
So, the government should be warned: If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. If they need any rehearsal, one was provided at the University of Zimbabwe when Vice-Chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura had to flee from hungry and angry students on Tuesday.
However, in all honesty, it’s doubtful if this complacent, decayed and tired government will heed the warnings. But what comes around goes around. They are in real danger of becoming victims of their own policies.
