By Patrick Guramatunhu| Zimbabwe’s economy is in total meltdown; unemployment has remained 90% plus, 3/4 of the population are living on US$40 per month and the country’s estimated 1000% hyperinflation is dragging them even deeper into poverty, public health care has all but closed down and people are dying of easily treatable ailments, etc. The situation is alarming but what makes it worse is that those in position of power and authority do not seem to even notice it!

“His Excellency the President has a meeting with all political actors who participated in the 2018 harmonised elections under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) except for one or two political parties that are yet to join others,” commented VP Chiwenga.

“There is no doubt that a peaceful environment in our country translates into socio-economic development, empowerment and growth of our country.

“Let me, therefore, reiterate His Excellency’s view that as Zimbabweans we are capable of finding enduring solutions to our own challenges. As such, home-grown solutions are to be pursued than international mediation that other parties are trying to pursue.

“Hatiende kunotsvaga nyamukuta kunext door. Vana nyamukuta vedu tinavo muno.” (We are not going to seek political midwives outside Zimbabwe when we have competent ones right here.)”

VP Chiwenga was addressing a delegation of church leaders who have been calling on MDC to accept Mnangagwa as the legitimate president and then join other politicians in POLAD.

No doubt, VP Chiwenga was looking pointedly at the church leaders when he mentioned the “capable local midwives”! He, like Mnangagwa is particularly pleased with the church leaders who have been calling on Chamisa to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate president.

As for the “home-grown solution”; this is just reckless political arrogance at its worst because after 40 years of blundering from pillar to post and with the country up to her eyes in this economic mess, it is nauseating to keep talking about a home-grown solution.

So the country not only needs help to dismantle its corrupt and dysfunctional political system but, worse still, needs help to acknowledge the system has failed regardless of the heartbreaking human tragedy unfolding in the country.

VP Chiwenga and his Zanu PF colleagues are shrewd enough to know that no political midwife worth his salt would ever want to be involved in the Zimbabwe crisis unless they believe there is a realistic chance the democratic reforms necessary to guarantee free, fair and credible elections will be implemented this time. SADC took on the challenge and was the guarantor of the 2008 Global Political Agreement and GNU that failed to get even one reform implemented. They would not want their fingers burnt once again.

Mnangagwa’s insistence that all parties to the political dialogue must first publicly acclaim him as the legitimately elected president of Zimbabwe; ruling out the need for any far reaching reforms. Zimbabwe’s local leaders are also demanding that the opposition parties endorse Mnangagwa as the legitimate president; no wonder Zanu PF is warming up to local midwife rather than outsiders.

So the local midwives with their home grown solution will not move us an inch out of this economic and political mess. Not one inch! The only reason VP Chiwenga and his Zanu PF colleague are keen on these church leaders playing a role is that the leaders recognise that Zanu PF does not want any meaningful democratic reforms to be implemented. The party does not want free, fair and credible elections because that will undermine it’s iron grip on power; not now, not ever.

The corollary is equally true and unmovable; without free, fair and credible elections Zimbabwe will never ever have any meaningful economic recovery; not now not ever! The prospect of Zimbabwe’s dire economic situation continuing unresolved with people now dying like flies is simply unthinkable.

Zimbabwe’s economic situation demands a solution that will end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance and since the local midwives cannot deliver such a solution the country must look further afield for those who can and will implement the reforms. – SOURCE: zimbabwelight.blogspot.com