Tendai Ruben Mbofana
The state of poverty in Zimbabwe today is not a natural disaster or an unavoidable accident of history.
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It is a calculated and systemic condition that has been shaped by years of policy choices and the priorities of those in power.
When eighty percent of a population lives below the poverty line while the country sits on vast mineral wealth, we must look beyond bad luck.
We are witnessing the results of state-sponsored poverty.
This is a situation where the economic system is designed to benefit a small group of people at the top while the majority of the population is left to struggle for basic survival.
This condition does not just take away money from people.
It takes away their dignity and their ability to think and act freely.
To understand why this happens, we must look at how poverty functions as a tool of control.
When people are hungry, their immediate focus is on where their next meal will come from.
They do not have the luxury of thinking about long-term policy, democratic reforms, or government accountability.
A person who is starving is easier to manage than a person who is economically independent. By keeping the population in a state of constant need, those in power create a culture of dependency.
This dependency is then used to buy loyalty.
We see this when citizens are forced to attend political rallies or sing praises for leaders in exchange for small handouts like a bag of grain or the installation of a single borehole.
These are not acts of genuine support but are survival strategies used by people who have been stripped of all other options.
This creates a painful cycle where the victims of economic mismanagement end up celebrating the very individuals responsible for their suffering.
It is a psychological trap.
When a government fails to provide basic infrastructure like piped water, and then provides a single borehole as a “gift,” the people feel a sense of gratitude.
They forget that the government had a duty to provide a working water system in the first place.
This is how mediocrity becomes the standard.
People begin to see basic rights as favors.
They start to believe that they should be thankful for crumbs while the national cake is being eaten by a few.
At the same time, we see the elite living in a way that is completely disconnected from the reality of the ordinary citizen.
The obscene opulence displayed by those in power is funded by the very resources that should be lifting millions out of poverty.
Zimbabwe is rich in gold, diamonds, and lithium, yet these resources do not reflect in the quality of the schools, hospitals, or roads.
Instead, the wealth is siphoned off through corruption and the looting of national assets.
This is why Zimbabwe is consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world.
The money that should be used for national development ends up in private bank accounts or is spent on luxury goods that serve no public purpose.
The “empowerment projects” often spoken about by the authorities are usually nothing more than temporary survival measures.
Giving a person a small amount of money or a few tools to start a micro-business without fixing the broader economy is not empowerment.
It is a way to keep people busy so they do not look at the bigger picture.
True empowerment is the transition from surviving to thriving.
It is not found in a roof that leaks or a meal that depends on a politician’s “kindness.”
Real dignity means living in a house with running water and reliable electricity that you pay for with a fair wage, not a home where you are one missed handout away from hunger.
It is the pride of walking into a shop and knowing your money holds its value, allowing you to buy what you need without begging for a discount or a favor.
Furthermore, empowerment is the ability to build generational wealth.
This means that when a parent works, they are not just working to feed their children today; they are working to leave behind an inheritance, a paid-off home, or a savings account that gives the next generation a head start.
It is the end of the “poverty trap” where every generation starts from zero because the state has drained the country’s riches.
True dignity is when a Zimbabwean can look a leader in the eye as an equal, knowing that their life, their rights, and their children’s future are secured by the law and their own hard work, not by singing for crumbs at a rally.
Without these foundations, these projects only serve to keep people’s heads just above the water while the tide of poverty continues to rise.
How did we reach this point where citizens dance for their own impoverishment?
It is because the state has successfully broken the spirit of the people.
When a person is reduced to begging, they lose their sense of self-worth.
They begin to believe that they are worth nothing more than the handout they receive.
This loss of dignity is the most dangerous effect of systemic poverty.
It silences the voice of the people.
It makes them afraid to speak out against injustice because they fear losing the little they have.
It creates a society where “fitting in” and “praising the leader” are seen as necessary for survival.
To “cast out this demon” and reclaim the soul of the nation, the first step is a mental shift.
Zimbabweans must realize that the poverty they experience is not a reflection of their own lack of effort or ability.
It is a political choice made by those who govern them.
Once people understand that they are being intentionally kept poor to ensure their obedience, the power of the handout begins to fade.
Dignity starts with the realization that every citizen has a right to the national wealth.
It is not a gift from a politician.
It is a collective inheritance.
The next step is to reject the culture of mediocrity.
We must stop celebrating the bare minimum.
A borehole in a city is not a success; it is a sign of a failed water system.
A donation of laptop to a school is not a cause for a celebration; it is a reminder that the education budget was mismanaged.
When we stop praising leaders for doing the very basics of their jobs, we begin to hold them to a higher standard.
We must demand accountability for every gram of gold and every carat of diamond that leaves the country.
We must ask why the people are poor while the land is so rich.
Ending this phenomenon also requires collective action.
Poverty is used to divide people, as they compete for limited resources.
This desperation explains why we watch in utter shock as various “affiliates” are formed, where Zimbabweans are organized to fight fellow Zimbabweans who are merely demanding their rights and a fair share of the national cake.
By creating these groups, those in power ensure that the poor remain busy fighting each other instead of uniting to demand accountability from the top.
However, when citizens unite and speak with one voice, the tools of control lose their effectiveness.
Standing up for one’s rights is not an act of rebellion; it is an act of self-respect.
It is about demanding a country where the children of the poor have the same opportunities as the children of the powerful.
It is about building a nation where success is determined by merit and hard work, not by political connections.
The journey to reclaiming dignity will not be easy.
It requires courage to stand up and say that we deserve better than crumbs.
It requires the persistence to keep asking questions even when the answers are hidden.
But it is the only way to break the chains of state-sponsored poverty.
We must move away from being a nation of beggars and become a nation of citizens.
A citizen does not beg for a right; a citizen demands it.
A citizen does not praise a leader for doing a job; a citizen evaluates the leader’s performance based on the well-being of the whole country.
Zimbabwe has everything it needs to be a prosperous nation.
The only thing missing is a leadership that cares more about the people than about private gain, and a population that refuses to be silenced by hunger.
By finding our voices again and rejecting the crumbs of “empowerment,” we can begin to rebuild a country where everyone can live with honor.
We must remember that no leader is more powerful than the people they serve.
The power to change the narrative of poverty lies in the hands of those who decide that they will no longer dance for their own destruction.
It is time to stand tall, look the truth in the eye, and demand the dignity that belongs to every Zimbabwean.
- Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. To directly receive his articles please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08