ON Tuesday, New York City voted a Muslim, African-American and socialist as its mayor against billionaire clubs from both the Republicans and Democrats.
Zohran Mamdani won the election on the strength of his election platform: rent freeze, fast and free buses and universal childcare.
Mamdani’s platform resonated with New Yorkers even in the face of President Donald Trump threatening not to give federal funds to New York if a socialist becomes its mayor.
Mamdani’s win has shaken the political arena, especially those politicians who believed that winning an election needs someone to be bankrolled by the billionaires.
In his victory speech, Mamdani said: “This will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve, rather than a list of excuses for what we are too timid to attempt.
“Central to that vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia: an agenda that will freeze rents for more than two million rent-stabilised tenants, make buses fast and free, and deliver universal childcare across our city.”
Freezing rent for four years, providing free and fast buses and universal childcare will make New York liveable by the poor working class.
The city has over the years been gentrified.
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The poor were slowly moved to the periphery and their issues were not worth the time and effort of rich politicians.
Mamdani did not hold back.
He even spoke to Trump directly in his speech.
Said Mamdani: “We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants.
“We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks.”
This was unprecedented.
New York showed that it can no longer bend to the will of the rich, but it has to be a city for all who live and work in it, including migrants.
This is in sharp contrast to a Zanu PF government that speaks left, but acts right.
It is a party of pseudo-socialists and its Cabinet implements a budget that supports the rich and keeps the poor grinding in poverty.
On Wednesday, Finance minister told parliamentarians about the 2025 budget performance during the ongoing 2026 pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo.
He highlighted how disbursements have been done and shockingly social services received the least.
The funding patterns revealed how the government is divorced from the social realities of Zimbabwe.
It did not fund social services.
Ncube told the parliamentarians that the Office of the President and Cabinet had used 102% of its budget.
The other big spenders were the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry at 223% and Defence ministry at 70%.
Contrast this with the funding for health, education and energy.
Ncube revealed that the Health ministry was funded 36% of its allocated budget, Primary and Secondary Education 46% and the Energy and Power Development ministry 29%.
The Audit Office was among the departments that received the lowest funding in 2025 at 21%.
What does that mean?
It simply means the Cabinet looked after itself and where it developed infrastructure, it was roads that lead to the city houses or rural areas.
How selfish!
It, therefore, comes as no surprise why public hospitals have become places of dying instead of healing.
How could hospitals buy medication, food and hire competent and satisfied staff when the ministry receives 36% of its allocated budget?
This should be seen in the prism of the sprouting of private medical facilities, especially in Harare, for the rich by the rich.
These are called investors and receive tax breaks and rebates.
The funding model by Ncube and prioritisation in disbursements is reflected in the products of public education.
Only last week, a report was released that showed that 83% of pupils in primary schools were not proficient enough in reading, writing and basic arithmetic.
This is symptomatic of a country committing mass suicide of its youth.
There has been so much criticism of Zesa as rolling blackouts have become normal.
However, looking at the funding disbursed to the Energy and Power Development ministry, one is hit by the force of it that they would understand the sabotage by the government.
It only received 29% of its 2025 allocation.
This is the reality of what the Zanu PF government is doing.
It is concerned about the rich and feeds on the suffering of the poor.
It has been saved by the opposition which is basically another shade of neoliberalism like Zanu PF.
They speak the same and act the same.
The only difference is the personalities involved.
It is time that Zimbabwe needs its own Democratic Socialists, who are not apologetic about who they are but would want to care for the majority have-nots than the privileged few.
Democratic socialists who will prioritise primary education, public health and housing for the working class.
Politicians who will prioritise provision of clean water and sufficient energy to households and industry.
A leadership that will not fear taxing the wealthy.
Mamdani’s rise gives hope to the people of the South.
That there is nothing wrong with democratic socialism and politics should serve the people more than the leaders.
Zimbabweans are reminded that politics is about issues that touch the working poor and peasants, not abstract issues.
New York is, however, not the USA, just like Harare and Bulawayo are not Zimbabwe.
The opposition should learn from their urban governance to give the whole country hope.
May the real men and women show up to the rich or they will have us for breakfast.
