Thursday, November 22, 2018

Zimbabwe one year later

Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN)We were standing in the square outside Parliament in downtown Harare on Tuesday when word started spreading. A woman ran up to me and asked, "Is he gone? Is he really gone?"
Most Zimbabweans have only ever known one president. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, 93, ruled this country with a tight grip. He never tolerated dissent, and it was ordinary people who paid the price of his 37-year reign.
The army seized control of the country and put Mugabe under house arrest a week ago, but the "Old Man," as he has become known, had still refused to quit.
Zimbabweans were girding themselves for a protracted and bitter impeachment battle as Parliament convened to oust their stubborn leader on Tuesday.

It has been a year since Mugabe was removed from power, but the same systems are in place and the same lack of accountability is present. Prices are up and all the promises of renewal made one year ago have  yet to take hold.

Maybe the coming year will bring better results?

I would like to see Zimbabwe return to being the bread basket of Africa- it will take time and investment and some serious movement by the government, but I believe they can get there. Not overnight, maybe not in the next decade. But I remain hopeful/

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