What Does It Mean to Be Free but Shackled in Zim?

By Peter Nyoni: South Africans have a unique perspective when it comes to Zimbabwe. Our northern neighbour, Zimbabwe was once a bastion of African democracy, championed by the late Robert Mugabe. We knew him to be a freedom fighter, a People’s Advocate, and a highly-educated man. He served as Prime Minister between 1980 – 1987, later becoming president from 1987 – 2017. An educator, an economist, and an orator of note, he successfully championed his country from British colonial rule to African independence. We know all of these things to be true.

Unfortunately, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Robert Mugabe plundered his country’s resources, subjugated its people with oppressive policies, and damaged the very principles of freedom that his movement engendered. ZANU PF was no longer a source of pride to Zimbabweans; it was prejudiced against anyone who disagreed with the ruling party’s position. Political affiliations aside, people can agree that something went horribly awry in Zimbabwe. The freedom was supposedly there for all to enjoy, yet too many people felt shackled in Zimbabwe.

Such are the prohibitive measures in place that you can’t really speak your mind without repercussions, but you can play online slots at Mansion if a government minister isn’t watching. Human Rights Watch states: ‘Throughout the year, Mnangagwa and other high-level government officials made numerous promises to deliver governance reforms to mark the post-Mugabe era but took few steps to demonstrate commitment to accountability, justice and human rights abuses, and respect for the rule of law…’ In other words, little has changed, and much work needs to be done.

What Happened in Zim?

As an outsider looking in, it’s tough to say what’s really going on in South Africa’s northern neighbour. Zimbabwe is a mess. The country’s agricultural sector has all but collapsed, going from commercial farming to subsistence farming. The land reform issue is central to many of the problems in Zimbabwe. True, these issues must be addressed appropriately. Expropriation without compensation is a recipe doomed to failure.

When there is nothing more left, where will government cronies steal from? Anglo-Saxons, Europeans, foreigners have all borne the brunt of Robert Mugabe’s wrath. But he too is buried in the very land he expropriated from his countrymen. In economics, there is a well-known paradigm of utility. Maximum utility is attained when you cannot increase one group’s utility without detracting from the other group.

This very principle is easily illustrated with public goods. Individuals cannot be excluded from using a public good, and at the same time, one person’s usage of a public good does not negatively impact another person’s usage of a public good. Streetlights are a classic example. National Defense is another example, lighthouses, and fresh air.

In Zimbabwe, this rule does not apply when the government seizes private assets from one group of people and then redistributes them to another group of people, or simply maintains government control over them. South Africans learned hard lessons through apartheid. One thing we know is that the country has a whole will never prosper if one group of people is unfairly targeted by another.

Synergy for Peaceful Relations in Zim

True unity, healing, and success were only through synergy. Everyone working together for the common good – that’s the only way Zimbabwe will come right. Sadly, the entrenched political machinery is averse to change. In fact, the leadership is so determined to hold onto power that it will subjugate the very people it claims to be leading. Once again, Zimbabweans are free but shackled. You can express your opinion, provided it doesn’t go counter to the opinions of the ruling elites. You can vote for the opposition, but there is a slim chance that they will get voted in, or that a peaceful transition will take place.