Will it be built on land seized from farmers? Or are you still in the midst of begging people with the secrets of 16th century crop-rotation to come back and feed your broken nation?
Honestly, the only way forward for your nation is a long and hard admission that Mugabe blew it for all of you, starting with famine and ending with ceaseless currency devaluations.
1
Zim facts
Hello
Some zimbos are so negative about their country. Every country has govts problems. Be Positive! take control of solutions.
PTSD for former fighters never recognized
total african sovereignty. Zim is no longer dictated to by its former colonial masters. Zimbabweans are the only indigenous Africans that really won.
George Bush & Tony Blair economic sanctions were more failed nation building policies
Very young democracy Only 38 years old
Largest land reform attempted in history of Africa,
Police don't carry guns. Should write book to US
Safest country in world children even hitchhike
More black university graduates
More second & Third generation college grads
More black owned newspapers
More black doctors accountants lawyers scientist
More black farms
More black telecoms
More black financial institutions
More universities
More black women politicians
More black hotels
More literate blacks
Least black murderers
Least black women in prison
Least refugee
Least terrorism
Most educated govt
No dramatic disease Zika and Ebola
Produce the indigenous professional workforce for southern Africa for 20 years competition for jobs easier in other countries than Zim
Least corruption in Africa and developing world
3
I am quite certain you don't leave in Zimbabwe
We really need our country to become stable. After such a transition as that which took place in November the best we can do is hope that ED and His government have turned a new leaf. Any attempt to remove them at this moment will heavily destabilise Zimbabwe. Zanu PF still holds together most institutions and a liberalised economy as the one Mnangagwa is promoting will lead to them loosing grip. At the present juncture that is the only way that our country can go successfully
1
Mnangagwa is far from prefect.
As a Zimbabwean, living in Zimbababwe, where I live off my small business in tough circumstances like most, it's easy to look around and see only the negatives.
But the truth is always more nuanced. Fact is, I've never been as confident and hopeful as I am now in years. I have had more enquiries for my products and services than at any time in recent years, and from more potential partners and sectors than previously.
Whether this translates into something solid over a sustainable period, I can't be certain. But I have hope and I'm sticking around to find out. There's no certain outcome. The alternative, the opposition, doesn't seem anywhere near ready to form a stable government, one that can be trusted to be coherent.
So I am wishing Mnangagwa every success on his promises. If he succeeds, so do I, and many others. I have no patience to wait for an opposition that's just not ready.
Zimbabweans are a very forgiving people however we do have this saying, “Mhosva haiwore senyama”. Literally, a “crime does not rot like meat” and aptly, “Crimes do not expire one must account for them”.
We are very willing to forgive Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa and entrust him with leadership if the following are resolved:
1. A reckoning and the truth about his past involvement in human rights violations while he was in the service of Mr Robert Mugabe’s government.
2. Concrete, rather than “wishy-washy” plans about how he will resolve the current economic crisis & liquidity issues in Zimbabwe. This should include the resuscitation of the nation’s social and other institutions and effective separation of powers between the arms of government.
3. His plans for the final closure of “The land Question” - how he will guarantee the security of tenure along with the protection of general property rights. This should include the reversal of land ownership by individuals who gained ownership under conditions considered to be conflicts of interest (ministers, members of the defence and uniformed forces and so on).
If he resolves these issues then one would say, “Chakanaka chakanaka mukaka haurungwe”. Another Zimbabwean saying, literally, that which is good is good, [for example] milk does not need embellishment. Aptly put, “That which is good will be seen by all and will not need additives, fancy speeches or other types of sprucing up.
3
I have known the lovely country of Zimbabwe before and after its ruin under Mr Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party.
I pray for better times ahead for Zimbabwe. But I am skeptical of Mr Mnangagwa. In the remote chance that he means what he is saying in this article, he should step aside for a younger leader in the coming elections.
He has been a cruel acolyte of Mr Mugabe for a long time. Just as things got hot last year, brave Emerson frantically escaped to South Africa by road through Mozambique. A prototype of an African BIG MAN; an opportunist and a grifter. Once a croc always a croc.
Abdi.
Abdi.
2
The issue with Zimbabwean politics, is that our politicians say one thing, then do the other. Mnangagwa was in the forefront of ZANU PF through the mass looting of the countries resources, and shocking human rights violations. I having had experienced some of the worst violations remember how Mnangagwa was either complicit, active or silent. Not once did he try to denounce it, infact recently he claimed that the 2008 elections were free and fair, the elections where some of my family members were attacked by the ZANU PF youth league, Morgan Tsvangirai's wife and Thokozani Khupe's mother died in two separate accidents over a space of 24 hours, and the inflation saw the use of ZW$100 trillion to buy two eggs.
To be fair, he is right in that he wants to improve Zimbabwe's economy, but on human rights, I am as ready to believe him as I was ready to believe Mugabe when he (with the aid of Mnangagwa) came to Matabeleland and orchestrated the mass murder of 20 000 civilians.
2
We can only hope Mnangagwa means what he says - the Matabele massacre received little or no attention from the UN or the rest of the Western World and though Mnangagwa may not have sanctioned it he did nothing to prevent it. I was a Rhodesian and in my heart still am - I would like to proudly say I admire the Zimbabwean govenment intention to right the wrongs of the disastrous reign of Robert Mugabe but can only do so when I see the recovery of a once beautiful and resourceful land.
words are cheap in Africa. let him declare openly where and how much his assets are now. then do the same every six months, for him and for all his appointees.
which other Leader the World over is declaring his assets every six months. Congratulation to the leader. Even Mandela was never under such a scheme.
Given Mnangagwa's history, a healthy does of scepticism is wise.
The elections will be a key benchmark. Already though, there have been reports of intimidation of voters, and a lack of reforms enabling equal access to state owned media for all parties. Mnangagwa repeatedly says the right things (mostly: recently he told The Economist that elections in 2008 were peaceful. The violence in 2008, spearheaded by the military with Mnangagwa at the head of JOC, was widespread and appalling).
He's been slow to follow with good actions. No progress has been made at repealing draconian laws that would allow for the free expression he speaks of here.
It is also true that sanctions have failed to produce desirable results.
A new approach is needed. That approach should include: promotion of independent media that penetrates into rural areas; empowerment of pro-democracy groups; promotion of growth in the private sector economy.
It also must be recognized that remedies to the disastrous "fast-track land reform" must also acknowledge that more equitable opportunities for land ownership must exist.
The payoff for a democratic Zimbabwe is large. For decades now the crisis in Zimbabwe has hamstrung the regional economy. A free, self-sufficient and democratic Zimbabwe would allow the whole of the southern african region to blossom into an advanced economy.
The world should take Mnangagwa up on his invitation to observe - very closely - what happens in Zimbabwe during this election year.
1
Getting rid of Mugabe was the key. Now, I hope the country can move forward, with transparency and benefits for all citizens, not just a power and money grab, which seems to have been the order of the day in Africa. High hopes!
1
Good luck president. And god-speed.
1
Google: "He is nicknamed 'Garwe' or 'Ngwena', which means 'the crocodile' in the Shona language,[3][4] initially because that was the name of the guerrilla group he founded, but later because of his political shrewdness."
Judging by OP-Ed just now his English also is tops. A gifted man.
2
The proof of the pudding -- let us wait and see. Crocodiles not only shed tears, they also swallow without chewing.
3
This Op-Ed reads like that of a person who has just won the elections. But Mr. Mnangagwa did not obtain his position in that way. Had he been more modest and had he acknowledged that the people will choose their leader this year his article could have been so much more credible. Mr. Mnangagwa has given himself away. Sadly, there seems to be too much division among opposition parties to put a candidate forward who could challenge Mr. Mnangagwa at the polls, the date of which should not have been changed to start with.
4
I follow events daily, and am more hopeful as each day passes at the prospects of the opposition coming together to mount an effective campaign this year. Time will tell.
What about the thousands of 'victims' of Zimbabwe's past evilness ( including Mnangagwa's involvement)? Will the families be compensated? Will gays still be considered worst than dogs and executed? Correcting human rights violations has to be upfront!
6
Mr. Slater--You make a very good point. They can't cover up the human right violations.
2
Looking at the comments - cynical and bitter. Give a deeply flawed man a chance to redeem himself. Millions in Zimbabwe were complicit with Mugabe and once caught up in an evil system it's extraordinarily difficult to act as a decent human being. Lots and lots of people did very bad things. People change. People learn. Give Mnangagwa a chance. What's the downside? American continued to treat Russia with deem suspicion after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union and look at the results.
2
Sounds good, if he really means it. However, I shall remain skeptical. Zimbabwe is not South Africa. For many years, the illusion of a decent democracy has been stifled. It will take many more years for this illusion to become fact. Mr. Mnangagwa might head toward that, and if he does, I wish him well. However, I suspect he is simply another Mugabe.
7
Most of those Zimbabweans who fought for so long against the Mugabe gang will remember that Mr. Mnangagwa was Mugabe's ruthless enforcer when he served "Minister of State Security", and later organized the government sponsored repression against The Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Meaningful change in Zimbabwe will be difficult until the top Mugabe cronies, such as Mr. Mnangagwa, are history.
17
Obviously written by a Madison Avenue marketing executive, this op-ed paints a pretty picture of a new day dawning in Zimbabwe under "new" leadership led by a person steeped in the highly corrupt practices of the past. Until proven otherwise, I expect value to continue to be extracted by the county's oligarchs and military. It may involve new oligarchs and new military leaders, but the extraction of assets on the backs of the citizens will likely continue.
15
I knew some talented people who went back to Zimbabwe. The talent is there. There are big problems to solve, including land usage, corruption, and ethnic discrimination. I hope that EDM can manage fair elections and abide the results.
8
Mr Mnangagwa himself bears responsibility for the brutal repression that brought Zimbabwe to its knees. We are right to remain sceptical when he now trumpets 'transparency, openness and commitment to the rule of law'. Let's see that tested that with in-depth on-the-ground reporting over the coming months.
10
Maybe an African nation can show us that democracy can still be an admirable system.
We aren’t doing our share to hold up what once was- a noble tradition.
1
Don't be fooled by Mnangagwa. He is actually worse than Mugabe.. He took part in Mugabe's government and has now installed Generals who removed Mugabe as key leaders.
Mnangagwa will not lead Zimbabwe to the promised land.
8
There is need to understand the Zim history, the political party zanu pf had an armed wing, this means that most army generals are also zanu pf, when they retire automatically they go into politics. secondly there are two main tribes the ndebeles and the shonas who both are very vocal and require to see their representation in the army and gvt. these things cannot be swept under the carpet unfortunately.
Secondly you must understand that in Zimbabwe like most African countries the bark stops with one person. When RGM was in charge everything was basically controlled by him, any one who opposed him became an enemy, people went over drive to please him, or pretend to be with him. it took guts for the generals to say enough is enough. surely none is perfect but we are moving in the right direction
Zimbabwe probably needs to follow more of a human oriented model for 'development'. Our Western model is exhausted, starting with the need for internal combustion engines, which is destroying our planet.
If there is to be hope, you Africans need to push other models, and that starts with such as President Mnangagwa eschewing the use of automobiles which show an aping of the worst aspects of Western myopia. Ride a bicycle, Emmerson.
This is just empty words. Will he restore the farms to white farmers? Will he compensate the whites that lost properties that they had worked hard to make them profitable? Nothing in this letter promising such reforms. Unless and until this happens, no new investments should be directed to Zimbabwe.
6
Odd that you would use the word'restore' re farmlands controlled by whites. How did they get them in the first place? There is need for land reform in southern Africa but surely it cannot be limited to giving back to whites what their relatives stole. While one does not want to be a prisoner to history, one can't pretend that these injustices should not be addressed. How that is done is the hard question. Look at the actions of the US government in Taiwan after WW II and you will get a sense of the radical moves that might be necessary.
4
Emmerson Mnangagwa: We'll judge you on actions and oucomes, not slogans and rhetoric. And the size of your family's bank accounts.
18
I think Emmerson is confusing what he wanted and what we ( the youths) want. "New way of doing things" thats him and it sure looks like new way of doing old things, as the youths we want something completely different from the old regime. We cannot remove a handful of members of the party then claim that we are on to something new yet someone like Obert Mpofu who was involved in the case of missing diamonds worth at least 15billion U$ is still working in the government in this new era. Hundreds of millions were brought back: $250 million to be specific and to be honest that is nothing comparing to what they looted when mugabe was in power then pinned it on him after they made him resign. Why not just expose the thieves? It bogles the mind, he keeps procastinating justice on those people who stole from the government, is he stalling? Or was he involved in the looting? Who is he protecting? Last tym i checked he was real close with obert mpofu.
He says we should forget about the past, let bygones be bygones. We remember gukurahundi right? When thousands of Ndebele people were murdered. Emmerson wants the Ndebele people to forgive him and move on but there still mass graves out there, those victims were not properly buried how can their families move on from that especially when Emmerson himself was of the people who spearheaded the movement.
I dont know if anyone feels the same but to me it looks too much baggage for a nation which is looking for something new.
11
Military loyalty is with Chiwenga. That can change. But it won't be free.
Mr. Mnangagwa needs currency. . . .fast.
2
I’ll believe it when they jail Mugabe and his cronies.
3
Let's hope!
1
There is only one question for you, Mr. President Mnangagwa: Will you step down when your term ends? Or will you be another "African Big Man" who holds on to power, rewards family and sycophants, and continues the cycle of exploitation? No excuses. Step down when your term ends.
5
ED must free tv and radio, they are all praisesinging him- mugabe legacy!
ED must put money in the banks- coming to join us in banks to que is not leadership. Instead, he must make wues disapper from banks.
ED must not associate himself with the most corrupt people in the country. How do you fight corruption with such people by your side?
2
you say he must put money in the bank where will he get it ? he has been clear that the only way to have money is if we export. but what do we do, we moan and the little we get we rush to import luxury goods in south Africa etc. we the locals need to work, revive industry and farms, he is making efforts to get the industries revived by putting the right policies, does that take a year to do ? it takes time. this superficial solution of importing notes will not work. when cash was available in the bans, banks were importing notes until they could not sustain the appetite for USD notes.
If sincere, this is one of the most significant things to happen in Africa since the fall of apartheid. Zimbabwe has huge potential and a fantastic populace. It has enormous resources and some incredible people. The world needs to rally around Zimbabwe at this fragile moment and make sure that things move in the right direction.
5
All the right noises Mr President but actions matter more. Remove military influence in the Electoral Commission. As long as serving and "retired" members of the armed forces sit on the Commission the elections are unlikely to be free and fair.
Make the voters role available for scrutiny in good time before elections.
Allow opposition parties time on the airwaves of the state controlled media houses
Tackle corruption without favour. Do no use only your opponents as Scapegoats. Some of your cabinet (including you & army top brass) need to declare their assets and be open to an independent review of their activities while under the Mugabe regime.
An acknowledgement of past wrongs committed by your party including the 2008 election cycle and the violence it produced.
A land audit to show exactly who has benefited from the land reform.
List is long but you can start there....
2
After former president Mugaby was sacked by his own party, concern about the country's future has stalked. Sticking to Mugaby's legacy will continue isolate this once-rich-governed-by-whites country, which embarking on a new development path will be fraught with uncertainty. Living in this country for two year, I am still impressed by how super-high inflation rate had incurred unbelievable lost on people's live and how populism of Zinbabuwe's characteristics have plunged this country further into desperation. Well, a news president may want to turn around this country with a new strategy, but when a person who have walked on the wrong way for decades and strive to retreat from it, it takes time and pains. Let's wait and see!
The road forward will be exceedingly difficult, but with effective leadership from president Emmerson Mnangagwa the people of Zimbabwe can succeed.
From the Wikipedia entry on Zimbabwe - "The country also has a well-developed education system, with one in eleven adults holding a tertiary degree. Given the country’s solid knowledge base and abundant natural resources, Zimbabwe has the potential to figure among the countries leading growth in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020. However, too many graduates emigrated. The diaspora appears to be one key to success. Promoting repatriation through rising opportunity in Zimbabwe appears to be exceedingly important.
I've visited Zimbabwe and was impressed by the peacefulness of the people. Teachers would walk miles and stand in line to be paid which was so surprising to me that this was necessary. I hope that all people there prosper.
1
I'd like to believe that President Mnangagwa's dreams for Zimbabwe come true. However, I'm am 62 years old, and have lived though much of Africa's 'changing but the same' past 50 years: different governments, lots of aid, and except for some excellent results as a result of vaccination, otherwise country after country in extreme poverty in all its manifestations.
1
If what the writer says is true, this is the potential for a true renaissance in Zimbabwe. Still, most revolutions get derailed. Hopefully this one will not.
Declaration of assets by government officials does not per se reduce the incident of corruption if those declared assets are not made transparent. Ghana has had such a policy of declaring assets for quarter of century now. The process has not made a dent in the scope and extent of corruption in that African country.
Zimbabwe please do not copy sheepishly. Please make declared assets available in public and give the time within which declaration of assets must be completed.
The declaration of assets he speaks of here has been a, ahem, less than "bold" move. The number of issues with the MDA are more than I can go into here, but Alex Magaisa gives it fair treatment, here:
https://www.bigsr.co.uk/single-post/2018/01/26/BSR-Critique-of-the-Manda...
Talk is cheap. Let's see how this unfolds, and let's see if farms are returned to those from whom they were taken. That will be an indicator of where what is being said by this president hews to reality on the ground.
1
Whilst I wish you well you are about to show the world how easy it is to destroy a country and how very difficult it is to build one. It will take at least 20 years and most probably closer to 50 years to attain your previous standard of living.
3
I wish all the best to Zimbabwe. The country direly needs investments in all areas of the economy. But Mnangagwa doesn't strike me as a democrat. He denies even the slightest responsibility for Gukurahundi massacres that took place when he held important positions under Mugabe. He is 75 (4 years older than Trump) and at this stage of his career, it is highly improbable that he would bring much change to the old system.
1
I lived and worked in Zimbabwe for two years in the mid-1990s as a USAID officer. It was a "turning point" moment in Mugabe's ZANU-PF regime, when optimists were pushing the economic liberalization agenda as well as a fair but significant land reform formula -- one that would shift ownership of about half of the country's commercial farm acreage, with reasonable if token compensation, from descendants of former white Rhodesians to black Zimbabwean farmers. Pessimists predicted otherwise, and they were right. Instead, the "kleptocrats" in the ZANU-PF circles rejected these objectives and led or acquiesced in the disastrous land seizures and hyperinflation of the economy that ensued.
It is correct to say that Mr. Mnangagwa was a front and center participant in all that unfolded. I do not know him personally, and as an optimist I want to accept as sincere his statements in today's NYT op-ed column to turn the corner and return to "open society" and "open economy" policies in the interests of all Zimbabweans. Some indicators I'll look for as evidence of sincerity include (a) the acceptance of an opposition party or coalition other than ZANU-PF possibly winning the next presidential election, accompanied by (b) moves to bring back willing white Zimbabwean farmers in a new dispensation that rebuilds the country's commercial agriculture while achieving the land reforms desired by all.
22
Emmerson Mnangagwa's determination to break with the corrupt and stagnant past and commit to the new promising futue for the Zimbabweans could materialise only when he shows guts to break free from the Mugabe legacy ( which he is closely related with) of self enrichment and self empowerment through state power and public resources keeping military too in good humour. It is only when he walks his talk and rebuilds the broken institutions with popular support and participation that the promise of restoring democracy in Zimbabwe would be fulfilled, otherwise the new Zimbabwe rendition would simply sound hollow- not more than a ploy to attract foreign capital and a relief from the squeezing sanctions.
18
This is encouraging. I hope that Zim can turn itself around and make the changes Mr. Mnangagwa is promising. Given the corruption of ZANU, I am dubious, but hopeful.
4