Zimpapers Logo

Masimba Mavaza Correspondent

The Zimbabwean economy has been in a coma for a long time and President Mnangagwa has cast a bright light on the country’s fortunes as he puts the economy over politics since assuming the reins last November.

In normal circumstances, the seven months would have been months of cleansing the political field.

Despite the looming elections, President Mnangagwa has put his effort on Zimbabwe’s recovery process, giving the youths a future which they had almost lost.

For the first time in 37 years, Zimbabwe has enjoyed a campaign period which is violence-free except for the cowardly terrorist attack at the President’s rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.

There hasn’t been any insults from the leadership. The violent slogans have gone and it’s only the opposition MDC-Alliance which is peddling violence.

This paradigm shift has endeared him to Zimbabwean voters as many seek a leader who understands their needs.

The youths have seen that the new dispensation under the leadership of President Mnangagwa is youth and economy-oriented.

President Mnangagwa has focused on opening up Zimbabwe for business, creating jobs, modernising the public sector and promoting investment, economic empowerment and re-aligning conditions which lead to economic growth and job creation.

All what the youths can dream of is in the DNA of President Mnangagwa.

Right, so we’ve got less than a week to go before electing; either a better future or a misguided young man doing press ups on the streets while trying to turn the country into a gym.

And although this election has been called in haste, after Operation Restore Legacy, it is probably one of, if not the most important plebiscite we will ever face in our lifetime.

Firstly, I cannot stress enough how important it is for young people to vote in this election.

One of the main reasons why young people are given such a raw deal by governments and politicians is because not enough of them get out there to vote.

This year the elections are historical!

The first independent Zimbabwe elections where Robert Mugabe’s name is absent.

The first elections where the youth have a future to vote for.

The youths never liked to vote in the past because they did not think there was any party worth voting for.

Now freedom is in the air and President Mnangagwa is found on WhatsApp, Facebook and various social media platforms.

He is found on Twitter and he is found at Chicken Inn. Such is how accessible President Mnangagwa is.

The youths must be proud of the fact that, despite intense pressure from various wannabe-politicos on their streets, web pages, Facebook, WhatsApp, university campuses, they should never fall for any of the patronising lies or platitudes offered up by the MDC-Alliance and this generational consensus mantra.

So why should the youth look forward to vote this year?

President Mnangagwa is a good leader.

The private media, which is unforgivably biased when it comes to President Mnangagwa, have tried to spread this myth among the public that President Mnangagwa is a weak leader.

Now, I am the first one to admit that President Mnangagwa is by no means perfect and does lack some of the more superficial leadership qualities that our contemporary politics have come to admire.

Yet in spite of the hostility President Mnangagwa has faced from not only the media, but also factions within his own party, he has doubled the party’s membership and forced the MDCs into a number of significant policy u-turns and alliances.

What’s more, although the private media and their drones have generally scoffed at his attempts to steer the country into glory, I cannot help but think that this is, in fact, exactly what we should be doing.

Isn’t that what democracy is all about? Making those in power accountable to the men and women on the street?

A good leader is someone who empowers others, often at the detriment of their own power and ego.

A picture paints a thousand words, yes . . .  but a couple of words can paint one hell of an accurate picture.

It should be clear to even the most economically illiterate that the past has failed.

The result, “lost decades”, as some have called it, has seen a lot of failures: lack of affordable housing, a fall in living standards, child poverty, crumbling public infrastructure and a growing mental health crisis.

Young people have been among the groups most hit by corruption.

Over the last decade alone, tuition fees doubled and youth joblessness was prevalent.

Now that President Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe is open for business, the youths must look forward to a progressive nation. Zimbabwe is back on track now.

Rejuvenating the economy is just one of the things this country desperately needs – but more need to be done if we are to create a fairer and more efficient economic system by voting President Mnangagwa for continuation and longevity.

Nelson Chamisa’s anti-foreigners stance would be a disaster.

He has made a promise to send away all the Chinese and foreigners the Idi Amin-style and this immaturity must be a warning to the youths.

President Mnangagwa is a focused leader.

He’s strong, principled and courageous. Time and time again he has reminded us that poverty, injustice and inequality aren’t inevitable.

Our country doesn’t have to be like this.

Things can change if you have the will to act. We’ve been spun around by cronyism’s unparalleled ability to manipulate human culture.

Now, I am no utopian. Evil will always exist in some form.

But if we do not regain our sense of what is right and what is wrong, then I fear that our precious country will not be here for much longer.

The MDC-Alliance and Chamisa’s greed and destructive pursuit of fame over country will destroy this country a lot faster than a nuclear bomb.

 Feedback: [email protected]