By Nomusa Garikai- One of the consequences of the corona virus pandemic is the economic collapse. Many Zimbabweans left the country for economic reasons but with the economic collapse in the host country an ever increasing number of Zimbabwean will find themselves out of work and forced to return back home. Botswana has started to deport some Zimbabweans.
“The government of Zimbabwe should expect to receive 500 deportees from Botswana,” advised Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Botswana Batirai Henry Mukonoweshuro.
“About 230 people have already surrendered themselves to the police and district commissioner in Gaborone. These were expected to be deported as of (Thursday) and more continue to register themselves with the embassy.”
As the economic situation gets worse the trickle of Zimbabweans returning home from Botswana, SA, Europe, etc., etc. will grow into a flood.
Zimbabweans should have worked hard to make sure Zimbabwe addressed the underlying problems behind the country’s economic and political crisis that forced them to leave the country in the first place. The crisis has been there since the 2000 to 2008 era which saw inflation soar to 500 billion per cent and the economy totally collapse and never to recovery, These people are now going back to Zimbabwe with unemployment rate a nauseating 90% and hyperinflation at 1 000% before the corona virus outbreak! Corona virus has dragged the nation even deeper into the nightmare!
These deportees have been the life-line for many who have remained behind, the dependants will not be pleased to see them back home.
Whilst the people, have risked life and limb to elect Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends on the understanding the party will bring about the democratic changes the nation needed to end Zanu PF misrule. The MDC leaders have sold-out.
MDC leaders have failed to deliver even one meaningful reform in 20 years, particularly during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when the country had the golden opportunity to do so. The people not only failed to hold MDC leaders to account for selling out during the GNU but, worse still, have failed to replace the incompetent opposition and so the nation is now stuck with corrupt and incompetent ruling party and opposition party!
After 40 years of misrule, we cannot deny we had many opportunities to end the curse of bad governance in Zimbabwe but wasted them all. Zimbabweans deserve this corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical Zanu PF government complete with its entourage of equally corrupt and incompetent opposition parties, all 130 of them at the July 2018 rigged elections.
Corona virus has already caused serious economic disruption, humanitarian suffering and claimed many, many lives. The virus has affected the rich and poor, developed and developing nations alike. But has hit the poor harder than the rich, the developing nations harder than the developed one. The poor had pre-existing economic and health conditions making them more vulnerable and their situation was made worse by their failure to mobilise the material and human resources to deal with the virus.
The corona virus will hit Zimbabwe very, very hard given the country’s economy has been in total meltdown for decades now and its public health service has long collapsed. Zimbabwe has failed to supply something as basic as clean running water to even key institutions like referral hospitals like Parerenyatwa Hospital much less the urban dwellers!
“Wash your hands regularly with soap and clean running water!” WHO has advised.
At least, Zimbabwe’s urban dwellers had clean running water 40 years ago, not any more!
Zimbabwe’s ruling elite live in palatial mansions like Mugabe’s Blue Roof built at the expense of the nation’s hospitals and clinics that are now in advance state of rot and decay!
Even now with the country facing this existential threat from the corona virus pandemic, the country continues to lose billions of dollars a month from the wholesale looting of diamonds and other resource; money that should be used to help save human suffering and lives. What will it take to final force Mnangagwa to end corruption?
As much as there are many developing countries and donors who would like to help Zimbabwe deal with this pandemic; they are reluctant to do so. These Zanu PF leaders are renowned for not only looting Zimbabwe’s resources but foreign donations too!
There is no doubt that corona virus is presenting Zimbabwe with the most serious economic, social and humanitarian challenge this nation has ever faced. The economic and humanitarian cost will be that much more than expected because of 40 years of bad governance. And we, the people of Zimbabwe, have done nothing to ensure the country end the curse of bad governance.
Corona virus is forcing Zimbabweans to go back home; to pay dearly, in lost treasure and human lives, for having done nothing to end the curse of bad governance these last 40 years and to finally do something to end the curse.
Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat the same mistake over and over again. One only hope we have finally learned the lesson of the folly of doing nothing to end the curse of rigged elections and bad governance.