To save Zimbabwe, Mugabe must go

Thirty-six years ago, one of Zimbabwe’s foremost freedom fighters came to power in the country’s first post-independence elections.
President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF government was seen as the people’s savior. He was the heroic socialist who contributed immensely to the fight against colonialism. Under his leadership, Zimbabwe also maintained its reputation as the breadbasket of southern Africa, and as an economic force in the region.

Unfortunately, the country’s happy days did not last. In the 1990s, Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed due to President Mugabe’s overzealous political ambition, culminating in an aggressive and ultimately disastrous series of land grabs from mostly white farmers. He also swooped on his political opponents, whom he frequently branded as traitors and sell-outs.

Faced with massive inflation rates – reaching an incredible 231 million per cent seven years ago – Zimbabwe formally replaced its currency with Chinese yuan and US dollars. But this has not prevented the economy from continuing its downward spiral. This month, as Zimbabwe’s central bank plans to introduce a new proxy currency, there are renewed worries of hyperinflation, and of the country’s total collapse.

We believe, like many Zimbabweans, that President Mugabe cannot and will never be in a position to stop the economic crisis. Zimbabwe needs to start anew, and this will not happen unless and until he is out of the picture.

news@metroeireann.com