President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s political career is nearing an unpleasant end after a catastrophic leadership style.

Mnangagwa promised to move mountains within days, but failed to move even an anthill. There is absolutely little to celebrate about his leadership.

The electorate has given up on him. Mnangagwa failed to turn around the economy. Prices of basic commodities are skyrocketing. Unemployment remained at 90%. The anti-corruption dragnet failed to capture the “big fish”, particularly those allegedly in the Lacoste faction, rendering it a witch-hunt.

He only managed to restore order on the roads by removing the menacing and unwanted police roadblocks.

On the farms, he has done completely nothing to stick to the one family, one farm policy. No land audit, nothing.

The late former President Robert Mugabe and others allegedly own more than a dozen farms. Once productive commercial farms remain idle. No farm has been downsized. Where are we going as a nation? It’s all talk, talk and talk, but no action.

That is waste of time and government resources. Instead of Mnangagwa working towards the upliftment of people’s lives, it is now clear that he is involved in corruption and grand looting of State resources.

No one disputes the fact that the majority now want Mnangagwa out. He has reached his dead end after a mediocre performance since the celebrated November 2017 power-grab from Mugabe.

COVID-19 exposes govt’s failures

Zimbabwe was well on top of the virus until returnees were allowed back. All over the world, it is evident that the main danger to a country is that the virus travels across borders, hence the need to isolate countries and stop international travel.

It should have been obvious to government that citizens would want to come home when the virus first raised its ugly head. As far back as April, plans should have been put in place to allow a smooth and safe transition for returnees. But no, the authorities waited for the first group to arrive in the country before they partially woke up.

People arrived and were housed in appalling conditions and still are, two-and-a-half months later. The facilities first used often had no water or adequate toilet facilities where these returnees needed to be under strict isolation to stop the virus from spreading.

We knew that some of the returnees would be carriers of COVID-19 and those without needed to be protected from contracting it. Communal facilities are still being used and returnees have to sleep on desks crowded in classrooms. On top of that, their meals are appalling as is the bedding provided, if any.

The Health ministry should have also seen in advance that hotels would be emptied as international travel ceased.

They could have made an effort to engage the hotel industry to accommodate returnees. Lodges with large open spaces would be ideal. That way the returnees would have had access to private rooms with toilet facilities, televisions to occupy their time and decent food. There would be no incentive to escape or bribe their way out of isolation. Of course, government would have paid the hotels and that would have led to less available funds to loot.

Some weeks ago, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube told us that we had received US$120 million in grants from the international community as emergency aid to enable us to fight COVID-19. Two-and-a-half months down the line, all we hear is that US$60 million was allocated to a briefcase business with dubious shareholding to import protective gear, equipment and chemicals by an equally dubious NatPharm.

If any of the Zanu PF leaders including Reserve Bank governor John Mangudya had a conscience, they would take full responsibility for the increase in cases of COVID-19 and resign forthwith.

It is high time Zanu PF gave us a break.