By Albert Mpofu
Gladys Hlatywayo, a senior official of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, has called upon Zimbabwean citizens to vote for the party in the upcoming elections on August 23rd. Hlatywayo said that a brighter future for Zimbabwe is just one vote away, while urging voters to rally behind the CCC’s vision for positive change.
Under the current leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa and the long-standing rule of the ZANU PF government, Zimbabwe finds itself in the midst of an economic crisis.The are alarming statistics, with annual inflation soaring to over 1220% and the prices of essential goods skyrocketing beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. The dire situation was exemplified by the recent disheartening news of civil servants have received their monthly salaries at meager a US$17.
The unemployment rate in Zimbabwe remains alarmingly high, forcing educated youths to resort to selling bananas and airtime as street vendors. Tragically, many young people turn to substance abuse and crime out of sheer desperation. Compounding the issue, schoolchildren are dropping out due to unpaid fees, with some being lured into vices or becoming child laborers in farms and gold mines.
The healthcare system has collapsed, with hospitals lacking essential medical equipment and medicines. Patients are now required to provide their own supplies, leading to unnecessary deaths. The Ministry of Health has come under heavy criticism, with some labeling the situation a silent genocide.
The state of infrastructure has also deteriorated, drawing comparisons to the 1980s. Insufficient investment in new buildings and transportation systems has left citizens yearning for better services. Instead of constructing new roads and highways to alleviate traffic congestion, the government’s efforts have focused on substandard road rehabilitation. The railway system, which could have provided a more efficient mode of transportation, has been neglected and left to decay.
Hlatywayo’s voter mobilization campaign for the party reflect with many Zimbabweans who are seeking change. She stated the CCC’s commitment to job creation, affordable and quality healthcare, an inclusive economy, world-class infrastructure, ethical leadership, and an accountable government. Hlatywayo said the nation’s vast mineral resources, including diamonds, lithium, gold, chrome, and over 50 others, can be responsibly mined and exported to generate much-needed foreign exchange earnings. Additionally, Zimbabwe’s fertile land presents ample opportunities for agriculture, potentially allowing the country to become self-sufficient in food production and even export agricultural products to neighboring nations.
Hlatywayo drew a sharp contrast between the ethical leadership of the CCC’s President Nelson Chamisa and the self-enrichment exhibited by his competitor, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Recent documentaries, such as Al Jazeera’s “Gold Mafia,” have shed light on corruption and nepotism within Mnangagwa’s inner circle, implicating his family and close associates
