Zimbabwe: after elections, a painful reality sets in - by Justice Sibanda

As Zanu-PF will attest to, rigging an election is the easy part, the hard part is governing, running the economy and ensuring the welfare of the people. On this our Government has fallen short on. It is clear policies before the elections were helping economic recovery as real GDP growth accelerated to a peak of 9% in 2010. The humanitarian situation and provision of social services had improved. Since the election the economic recovery has stalled and the humanitarian situation and provision of social services has deteriorated. There are widespread reports of children fainting at school due to hunger and increased instances of deaths due to malnutrition. Corruption and crime continue to increase unabated. 

Reminiscent of the period from 2002 to early 2009 when Zimbabwe went through an acute economic crisis, winding queues have resurfaced as banks find it difficult to cope with clients due to low liquidity. The 2013 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) rural livelihoods report, which estimates food insecurity levels, predicts that 2.2 million Zimbabweans will be unable to access sufficient food during the peak hunger period, January – March 2014. This is the highest level of food insecurity since 2009.

Worryingly independent surveys carried out by two civil society organisations, the Zimbabwe Peace Project and the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, reveal partisan distribution of food relief in Matabeleland North and South, the Midlands, some parts of Masvingo and Manicaland. Both reports chronicle incidents of a political nature in the affected areas, where officials are allegedly demanding party cards before food is distributed. Those perceived not to have voted for Zanu-PF are being punished by being denied aid, said the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition report.

Justice Melusi Sibanda 
Organising Secretary – ROHR Zimbabwe/Bradford Branch