ZIMBABWE CANNOT CELEBRATE FAILURE ANYMORE

Something is very wrong in Zimbabwe. The government is busy smiling and celebrating something that should never be celebrated. They are happy because Zimbabwe is now the fifth biggest economy in the region. But they do not say the truth. They do not say that Zimbabwe used to be the second biggest and the most industrialised country in sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa. We were number two. Now we are number five. And they want us to believe this is progress. This is what failure looks like when it is covered with lies.

The new numbers from the International Monetary Fund show the real picture. South Africa is number one with a GDP of US$400 billion. Angola is number two with US$115 billion. Tanzania is number three with US$80 billion. The Democratic Republic of Congo is number four with US$71 billion. And Zimbabwe is number five. Our leaders are celebrating this as if it means success. But this only shows how far our country has fallen because of bad leadership and years of corruption.

Long ago, Zimbabwe was called the breadbasket of Africa. We had strong industries, working factories, and many jobs. People from other countries came here to find a better life. Zimbabwe was a place of pride. Today the story is different. Zimbabweans are the ones running away to other countries just to survive. Many young people are in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, the UK, and other places because there is no hope at home. How do we celebrate an economy that pushes its own people out?

What makes it worse is that the leaders do not want to take blame. They pretend this is a big win. They behave as if being number five is better than being number two. They do not talk about the dead industries in Bulawayo, Harare, Gweru, and Mutare. They do not talk about the factories that once made goods for the whole region. Today most of those factories are silent. Zimbabwe now imports even simple things like tomatoes and onions. How can a country that once fed the region now clap hands for being a buyer?

ZANU PF has caused great damage. They destroyed the dreams of millions of people. They chose power instead of progress. They chose corruption instead of service. They steal elections, scare people who speak the truth, and waste public money. Now they want praise for being number five. This is shameful and painful for real citizens who want a better future.

We must remember what Zimbabwe used to be. We had good hospitals, strong schools, clean cities, working roads, and a powerful currency. People had dignity. Today our hospitals have no medicine. Our teachers earn very little. Our roads are full of holes. Our money is weak and not trusted by anyone. Many people sleep hungry. And still the leaders celebrate. What kind of leaders celebrate when their people suffer?

They want to use the GDP numbers to lie to us. But GDP means nothing when a child sleeps on an empty stomach. It means nothing to a young graduate with no job. It means nothing to a mother giving birth on the floor because there are no beds or nurses. Real progress is when people live better lives. And right now life in Zimbabwe is very hard.

So we must not be fooled by their fake celebrations. The celebration is not for us. It is for the corrupt leaders who enjoy comfort while the rest of the people suffer. They want the world to think Zimbabwe is moving forward. But the truth is in our homes, our schools, our shops, and our clinics. Zimbabwe is not working.

Let us speak up and tell the truth. We are not proud of being number five. We want to rise again. We want jobs, food, and peace. We want leaders who care. Until that day comes, there is nothing to celebrate.