WILF MBANGA: Zimbabwe spirals out of control as people lose faith in political classes
Citizens are faced with an arrogant kleptocracy amassing wealth in the face of grinding poverty
The unprecedented rioting that has shaken Zimbabwe over the past week is a manifestation of the utter hopelessness that has taken hold of the nation. People no longer believe their government is capable of solving the enormous economic challenges that face them. They see instead an arrogant kleptocracy amassing and flaunting wealth in the face of the grinding poverty most citizens have endured for more than two decades. The euphoria over the deposing of long-time dictator Robert Mugabe in November 2017 soon evaporated and has now been replaced by anger, particularly on the part of the millions of unemployed youths. When Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in as president after the 2017 smart coup, he announced he would be a “listening president”. His actions since then have shown without a doubt that this was a sham. In a serious case of misjudgment, he announced a 150% increase in the price of petrol from $1.24 to $3.31 per litre on the eve of his departure for Asia and Europe on January ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.