"Freedom of Speech, But Not Freedom After Speech: The Cost of Truth in Zimbabwe"

 

 "Zimbabwe’s crisis has evolved beyond stolen votes to stolen livelihoods where poverty is no longer a byproduct of bad governance, but a deliberate tool wielded by a privileged few to choke dissent, starve democracy, and turn economic survival into political submission."

To be honest, for many people, economic and political justice in Zimbabwe feels less like a dream deferred and more like a dream deliberately denied. Decades of broken promises, rigged elections, rampant corruption, and economic collapse have hollowed out hope. When the cost of living rises daily while leaders enrich themselves, and when elections become rituals without accountability, it’s easy to feel that justice is reserved for the powerful, not the people.

But is it impossible? No, not if people continue to organize, speak out, and refuse to accept the status quo as permanent. Across history, systems that seemed untouchable eventually shifted because ordinary people didn’t give up. It may feel slow, painful, and costly and yes, the path is uncertain but the dream only becomes impossible when people stop believing in it and stop acting on it.

Justice in Zimbabwe might not come from the top down but it will likely be built from the ground up: in communities, through solidarity, through civic education, strategic pressure, and unified resistance. It requires a long view, but also bold and present action.

So no, it’s not impossible. But it’s also not automatic. It will demand more than just outrage it will take strategy, unity, sacrifice, and deep vision.

It takes immense courage to speak the truth in Zimbabwe. Yes, the Constitution may promise freedom of expression but in reality, that freedom often ends the moment you exercise it. The powerful still control the levers of state, and they can silence, punish, or destroy lives with impunity. So while speech may be "free," freedom after speech is never guaranteed.

This is the harsh reality faced by many Zimbabweans today. 

Still, we must be honest: this struggle is not safe. Those who challenge authority risk losing everything. Jobs can disappear. Reputations can be destroyed. Lives can be made unbearable. How can one feel truly free in an environment where repressive measures can be applied so casually, so mercilessly?

The answer is complex, but it starts with naming the fear and refusing to let it rule us. Above all, it will take the courage to speak, even when the cost is high.Because the dream of justice only dies when we stop believing in it and stop fighting for it.

Is ZANU PF Destroying the Old to Build the New? A Critical Look at Zimbabwe’s Governance Trajectory

 

Is ZANU PF Destroying the Old to Build the New? A Critical Look at Zimbabwe’s Governance Trajectory

In the evolving landscape of Zimbabwean politics, a concerning pattern has emerged. One that suggests the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) may be pursuing a strategy of dismantling old systems under the pretext of building something new.

While this strategy is not codified in any official policy, the practical evidence points to a calculated transformation of Zimbabwe’s political and institutional architecture. What we are witnessing may not simply be change but upheaval.

The Dismantling of Institutional Foundations

Over the past several years, ZANU PF has overseen the systematic erosion of key institutional pillars:

Land Tenure Systems: 

The recalibration of land ownership, including the controversial issuance of new title deeds, has raised alarm. Critics view this as an attempt to reassert control over land allocation and usage and a move that benefits political loyalty over justice and equity.

Local Government Autonomy: 

Longstanding frameworks that granted local authorities a degree of independence are being weakened. Centralized control is reasserted through opaque appointment mechanisms, budgetary constraints, and political interference.

Civil Service Neutrality: 

Once envisioned as an apolitical organ of the state, the civil service is increasingly viewed as a politicized extension of the ruling party, where appointments and promotions are often aligned with political allegiance rather than merit or professional competence.

These changes are rarely framed as erosions of democratic norms. Instead, they are marketed as steps toward national renewal under catchy slogans like “Vision 2030,” the “Second Republic,” or “economic empowerment.”

Reform or Reinvention of Control?

At first glance, these initiatives might suggest progressive reform. However, beneath the rhetoric lies a troubling trend: 

• Consolidation of power and deepening political patronage.
• Transparency has declined, with decision-making processes increasingly shrouded in secrecy.
• Elite enrichment has accelerated, as access to resources and opportunities becomes concentrated among those within or aligned with the ruling elite.
• Democratic processes, including elections and public consultations, are sidelined or manipulated to give a veneer of legitimacy to what critics describe as authoritarian maneuvers.

This is not reform in the democratic sense. Rather, it appears to be a strategic demolition of previous checks and balances clearing the way not for people-centered governance, but for regime entrenchment.

The Pattern Is Unmistakable

What makes this moment especially consequential is the intentionality of these shifts. Whether by design or consequence, ZANU PF’s governance has resulted in:

• The dismantling of old, decentralized, and independent systems;
• The creation of new, centralized structures of control;
• The reframing of authoritarian practices as visionary progress.

This approach echoes the adage: “Destroy the old so that the new may be born.” But the critical question becomes "what kind of “new” is being born?".

A Call for National Introspection

Zimbabwe stands at a crossroads. The promise of a renewed republic is weighed down by the growing reality of captured institutions and diminished democratic space. The question facing every citizen is no longer simply about party loyalty or political ideology. It is about the soul of the nation.

Are we witnessing a genuine national rebirth, or a descent into deeper authoritarianism? Are these structural changes laying the foundation for an inclusive, equitable future or entrenching a legacy of elite control? Only an informed, active, and courageous citizenry can answer that and act accordingly.

Join the conversation. Stay informed. Speak out. Zimbabwe’s future depends not only on those who govern, but on those who dare to hold power accountable.

The true life struggles of the Banana children

 

Michael Thabo (RIP), Nobuhle, Martin Mhambi , Nathan Sipho (Liverpool, U.K)

Life in Rhodesia

I guess our journey really started in the 70's when the family first migrated out of Rhodesia to the United States of America where our late father former President Canaan Banana was pursuing his academic studies in Washington D.C.

99 New Luveve before migration to America

 As a Reverend our dad travelled a lot around   the country most likely part reason we were all   born in different Cities. My brother in Wankie   (now Hwange), my self in Fort Victoria (now   Masvingo), my younger brother in Bulawayo   and the youngest my sister after independence   in Harare.

 On reflection these journey's across cities and   countries would remain significant events in our   lives even as young adults. Later in my article   you will see how these travels might have   affected our mental health and shaped what led   to some of our life challenges.

Person of Public Interest

Our family in New Luveve after returning from America

 I suppose when anyone is a person of public   interest like a preacher or politician they have   to try find a way to have a work life balance   otherwise their family will miss out on quality     moments to bond with their them as a parent   and husband.

 

 I can only speak for myself but most likely my   brothers and sister might have felt the same   way, we never really got to know our father as a   dad because of his seemingly busy working   schedule and his love of his people. Our mum   basically performed both roles quite effeciently   and perhaps due to the strong extended family   network structure at the time also helped her   overcome some of the challenges that many   single mothers faced even though in her case   she was a married mother with a very busy   husband.

Zimbabwe Independence 1980

The arrival of independece in Zimbabwe did not help change the family conditions that we experienced pre-independence, truly speaking it actually worsened them as our father was no longer just ours alone but a stately father figure whom every citizen looked upto and respected as a Head of State. The only times we had to have conversations with him was at the dinner table but that environment was also quite intimidating as it was a long table where we sat at a distance from the Head of table and obviously table manners had to be adhered to also to English standards.

Small breakfast table in one of the sitting rooms Martin & mum eating.

I personally tried disrupting the process by hanging around out of normal working ours activities where my father would be involved in football training and on some weekends during off season also jump into the motorcade to go fishing with him and during football season also attend some of the matches with him, but in all these events there was no close conversations as he would be focused on communicating with the players and coaches or Statehouse staff in the case of fishing trips. 

Let me point out that my reflections directed at him are in no way an attempt to taint his positive contributions to society as a leader but to give you the reader perspective in terms of helping you appreciate some of the challenges faced by children of prominent individuals in society in terms of their relationships with their parents. Please also take note that my story might not be the same as the stories of other children in similar situations.

The Cost of Ego: How Zimbabwe’s Fragmented Opposition Keeps Power in ZANU-PF’s Hands

 

By: Sipho N Banana 

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Zimbabwe’s democratic struggle is being held hostage not by ZANU-PF alone, but by the opposition’s refusal to make strategic compromises. 

 Our opposition landscape today is littered with splinter parties, each carrying a banner of hope, each believing it has the key to salvation and yet collectively, they fail to move the needle of change. Why? Because we have mistaken going it alone for political strength, and in doing so, we’ve handed ZANU-PF victory after victory on a silver platter. 

 The idea of working together in Zimbabwean politics is too often misunderstood. For some, it means merging parties. For others, it means compromising core values. But that is a narrow and self-defeating view. Collaboration does not have to mean surrendering identity but it means building a unified front capable of achieving shared goals. It means putting Zimbabwe first, not party logos. 

 The Pitfalls of Fragmentation 

 In the 2018 elections, over 20 opposition parties contested the presidency. Many of them knew they had no realistic path to State House, yet they fielded candidates anyway. What followed was a familiar outcome: ZANU-PF maintained power, not because it had overwhelming support, but because the opposition had once again diluted itself to the point of irrelevance. Had even half of those parties chosen to support a single credible candidate, we might be living in a different Zimbabwe today. In 2023, the story repeated itself. Smaller parties, many barely known beyond a few districts, insisted on participating “independently.” The result was predictable: they split the protest vote, gave legitimacy to a flawed election, and further confused the electorate. Voters were left asking — who really represents us? 

 Meanwhile, the ruling party used this confusion to tighten its grip. This obsession with individuality and the desire to wear one’s own colours, speak from one’s own podium, and claim credit for imagined victories has reduced the influence of many political parties to that of pressure groups. They make noise, issue statements, march when permitted but they cannot shift power. Why? Because real power in politics comes from numbers, strategy, and unity.

 Strategic Partnership ≠ Merger 

 Let’s be clear: no one is saying every political party must dissolve into another. But collaboration doesn’t require a merger. It requires a shared agenda, coordinated action, and the maturity to know when to lead and when to support. Political coalitions elsewhere in Africa such as Kenya’s 2002 National Rainbow Coalition or Malawi’s 2020 Tonse Alliance succeeded not because everyone became one party, but because they recognised the moment demanded unity above ego. Zimbabwe’s opposition must learn the same lesson. It must stop operating as a collection of competing brands and start acting like a movement. 

That doesn’t mean pretending we all agree on everything. It means agreeing on what matters most ending authoritarian rule, restoring the dignity of our people, and creating a democratic state that works for all. 

 The Way Forward 

 To move forward, opposition parties must: 

 1. Create platforms for dialogue and trust-building among themselves, not just in election years, but permanently. 

 2. Develop shared strategies for engagement, including joint rallies, coordinated messaging, and protection of each other’s political space. 

 3. Stop prioritizing publicity over purpose. Just because your logo isn’t in front doesn’t mean your work doesn’t matter. 

 4. Involve civil society and independent voices in fostering unity, offering neutral ground for building coalitions that are more than just election pacts.

 

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 Conclusion: 

 Unity is Not Weakness The real threat to ZANU-PF is not any single opposition leader. It is a united movement that refuses to be divided by small ambitions. Zimbabweans are hungry for change they are desperate for leaders who show not only courage but wisdom and humility. 

 Until opposition parties learn to compromise strategically, their noble intentions will keep being buried under the weight of their own egos. The time has come to move from fragmentation to formation not necessarily of one party, but of one purpose. Because if we do not come together, we will keep coming apart and ZANU-PF will remain the only one smiling.

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