By A Correspondent

Opposition politician Elisabeth Valerio has criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, blaming it for widespread corruption and deteriorating public services, which she claims have eroded Zimbabweans’ trust in their leadership.

As the only female presidential candidate in the 2023 harmonised elections, Valerio said the current government is more concerned with clinging to power than fulfilling its election promises. In her view, Mnangagwa’s administration has relied on empty slogans while failing to address the country’s urgent issues. She stated:

“We are merely two years into this term, but already the national discourse is being hijacked by the self-serving agenda of prolonging political dominance rather than addressing the immediate and pressing needs of the citizenry.”

She further added, “This push for an extended term may in part have been intensified because many of the current political players now know that their likelihood of reelection (in a true democracy) is slim!”

Valerio, who leads the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA), expressed concern that the country is being “held hostage” by the internal divisions within the ruling ZANU PF party. She made it clear that her party has no interest in their internal power struggles.

The opposition leader called on ZANU PF to adhere to the Constitution of Zimbabwe and honor democratic principles, rather than focusing solely on political survival.