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Writes Lloyd Rabaya
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, yesterday held his party’s last rally before elections in the capital city, Harare where thousands of his supporters as well as local and international observers were in attendance.
During the rally, this publication caught up with a number of CCC supporters and interviewed them about their expectations in elections slated for tomorrow, Wednesday 23 August 2023.
For 56-year-old Julius Chimoto (not real name), a lecturer at one of the state universities, seeing his former students turn to drugs due to unemployment and hopelessness is not only devastating but also heartbreaking. His students have lost hope in education due to the high levels of unemployment in the country.
“The students have lost hope in us because after going through school they have nothing else to do. Some of them will turn into drug addicts, among other evils life can offer them,” said the seemingly devastated lecturer.
Zimbabwean youth have been finding it difficult to secure employment after going through school because of the high unemployment levels in the country.
The Southern African country has been plagued by high unemployment rates because of the economic and political crisis since 2000 and the situation is, apparently, worsening. In their 2023 first quarter labour force survey report, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) revealed that the national unemployment (expanded) rate was 46.7%. More than 2.8 million people of working age are unemployed.
For 64-year-old Gogo Matindike of Pota village near Norton, her vending business has been stirred by recent graduates who have nothing else to do but to resort to vending as a way of making ends meet.
“Everybody is now resorting to vending, including those who went to school. We, the elderly, are now finding it difficult because young ones from the university are the ones taking over. My children are also unemployed, so nobody takes care of me. Even if I fall sick, visiting the government hospital is a waste of time because you will pay for the card but you will have to buy your own medication,” bemoaned the old woman.
After usurping power in a military-assisted coup from former President Robert Mugabe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised a land of milk and honey with unemployment being a thing of the past and, said the health system would be top-notch with free medical treatment for the elderly, children under five gears and the pregnant.
Despite the promises, the public health system is also in decay as all the public hospitals do not have the most vital machinery, such as the ones for cancer. For 45-year-old Tafadzwa Benjamin of Kambuzuma, the issue of the Zimbabwean government is not about a shortage of money, but of misappropriation of funds and prioritisation of minor things.
Apart from this, Zimbabwe also suffers a cancer of corruption. A documentary released by Al Jazeera earlier this year, Gold Mafia, showed how the top dogs use a well-coordinated system of money laundering to their own benefit using the much-precious gold. Well-connected individuals were also exposed in the documentary.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters have pinned their hopes on their leader, Nelson Chamisa, that he will steer the country in the right direction for the benefit of everyone.
“I am expecting a developmental economy, one that is not based on the ruling party but on the people. The fiscal policy should be managed by the Reserve Bank and should not be managed by the ruling party,” suggested Chimoto.
Gogo Matindike said since Chamisa was part of the Government of National Unity (GNU) that turned the economy around for the better and was working with the then Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, he can definitely lead Zimbabwe to a land of milk and honey.
“We expect President Nelson Chamisa to prioritise the welfare of every citizen and provide better health services for us. Even the issue of being late for work due to transport challenges would be a thing of the past,” suggested Benjamin.
Zimbabwe decides on the ballot tomorrow and meets its fate in the next five days when the one who would emerge victorious would be known.
