dyton mupawaenda
Isdore Guvammbe-Reflections
I recently took a sabbatical back in the village, in the proverbial land of milk, honey and dust or Guruve and indeed it was time to reflect on an eventful 2024.
Sitting under a muchakata tree with ageless village autochthones graced with cotton tuft hair, listening to their stories: their local and global perspectives is a rarity.
We touched on our beloved Zimbabwe, Ukraine and Russia, we delved into the elections in the US, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, among others.
Never under estimate this organic village analysis of events, for, the cotton tuft hair does not grow on tree stumps but on brainy heads.
Well, 2024 was an eventful year. Very, very interesting in all aspects.
WHEN ZANU PF BECOMES a POLITICAL AUTOCHTHONE
This is the year the ruling Zanu PF party indeed ruled the roost. In the conundrum of regional politics, Zanu PF leader President Mnangagwa took over the leadership of SADC.
But that is not all, Zanu PF became the much talked about political party in the region. It makes villagers proud that Zanu PF has become the godfather or grandmaster of politics given the way the opposition in Mozambique and Namibia, and their backers in the West cannot stop talking about Zanu PF.
While they think they are giving a negative narrative on Zanu PF, they have actually given it traction as a rarely influential political grouping. Zanu PF is the real deal, like or hate it.
While we sat under the muchakata tree on the verges of the village, in Namibia at the Mercure Hotel in Windhoek, where various observer missions were presenting their initial reports, Ivan Skrywer, the LPM’s representative, directly pointed the finger at ZANU-PF for allegedly interfering with Namibia’s Electoral Commission (ECN) and its election procedures.
Skrywer stated, “We are demanding that the international observers speak out against the irregularities that marred the elections. ZANU-PF’s interference in our electoral process has been evident, and we cannot allow this to go unchallenged.”
Besides the rantings which are political banter, he did not give proof of the Zanu PF meddling, but villagers understand, that the revolutionary party is the real deal. Just the mention of its name, bring shivers down some spines in the Western capitol.
US, THE CRADLE OF DEMOCRACY
There is no doubt that the United States has positioned itself in talking as the world’s best democracy and indeed, the world waited with bated breath, as the elections unfolded.
From day one of the campaign, the elections were centred on “law fare” as President Biden unleashed a barrage legal cases on competitor Donald Trump.
Of course Trump eventually won the election as the Biden administration crumbled like a deck of cards.
But the most interesting thing about the US elections was the fact that they pointed out growing corruption in their governance, as President Biden and his son Hunter and sister in law Sarah, took centre stage in the dealings in Ukraine.
But the unthinkable happened when outgoing President Joe Biden who had long pledged that he would not pardon his son, Hunter, who was set to be sentenced this month for gun and tax convictions, on Sunday, pardoned him anyway.
Do elders in the village not say, family comes first? Is this not corruption or abuse of office?
The sweeping pardon covers not only Hunter Biden’s convictions in two cases in Delaware and California, but also any other “offences against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.”
IMF: RUSSIAN ECONOMY OUTGROWS ALL
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) an influential global body forecast Russia’s economy would grow faster than all of the world’s advanced economies, including the US, this year.
The IMF expected Russia to grow 3,2 percent this year, significantly more than the UK, France and Germany, despite Russia being at war with Ukraine and its allies the US and EU.
Oil exports have “held steady” and government spending has “remained high” contributing to growth, the IMF said.
Overall, it said the world economy had been “remarkably resilient”
“Despite many gloomy predictions, the world avoided a recession, the banking system proved largely resilient, and major emerging market economies did not suffer sudden stops,” the IMF said.
To coin it all, it has been reported that life has improved significantly in the eastern regions, captured by Russia from Ukraine.
Everything from food to infrastructure has improved much more than it was under Zelenskyy’s territory.
DROUGHT RELIEF
This is the year the Zimbabwe Government had proved beyond any doubt that it can take care of its own citizenry.
Despite the El Nino induced drought, there Government had made it abundantly clear that none one will starve.
There have not been shortages of mealie-meal, the staple food, and neither have there been shortages of basic commodities.
The New Dispensation should be applauded in making sure there is mealie-meal in rural shops, over and above Government drought life food.
The Government also engaged in an array of life changing development projects, from irrigation schemes to schools and dams. This has been an incredible year/
Lastly, The Herald continued to dominate the media industry, retaining the Super Brand of The Year (Print Media) 2024.
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