By Success Majaramhepo and Erusmus Mabhebhura
Zimbabweans from across the political divide have called on the government to create a democratic state where everyone should be heard and guaranteed to participate in the affairs to build a productive and sustainable economy.
The citizens made the call on Wednesday during the Second National Citizens’ Convention held in the capital, Harare. The citizens were brainstorming on the ways and means to help Zimbabwe find last solutions to its two-decade old economic crisis.
“Citizens must be involved in the national dialogue because they are the ones who are affected. The government must provide platforms for citizens to showcase their ideas to help curb the continuous tanking of the economy,” said a Mutare resident, Tendai Nelson.
Chiedza Takawadini from Bindura added that citizens must unite regardless of their political differences to come up with one thing; to solve economic challenges being faced by people.
“Unity is needed for us to build our nation. So, we have to stand up as people regardless of our political differences to help solve our problems or else there would be no better future,” she said.
Some citizens said the government should carefully consider investment from China and some Western countries that have not been in the national interest and have left the country impoverished.
Tinashe Chimedza said: “Our ecology is dying because partnership being engaged by the government with Chinese. They extract diamonds in Chiadzwa and they leave gullies. They are looting our resources and leaving us with nothing to show for all the mineral wealth we have as a country. We, therefore, are destroying the future and we should come together and solve this now.”
Zimbabwe’s economic decline accelerated post the November 2017 coup that ousted the late former President Robert Mugabe and installed Emmerson Mnangagwa as the new leader. Since then the currency has crashed against the major currencies, rolling 18-hour power blackouts and reduced industrial capacity utilisation have become the norm.
The convention was meant to bring all Zimbabweans together and find lasting solutions to the political and economic turmoil the country is in.
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