Zimbabwe: From Promise to Peril
The Human Rights Crisis Under Mnangagwa
When President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga toppled Robert Mugabe in November 2017, they promised Zimbabweans a new dawn. They claimed they wanted to rid the country of the corrupt thugs who had surrounded the aging dictator and restore Zimbabwe to prosperity. Seven years later, that promise has proven hollow. Nothing has fundamentally changed – Mnangagwa has simply replaced Mugabe's corrupt network with his own.
The Continuation of Corruption
The international community has taken notice of Zimbabwe's continued descent into corruption under Mnangagwa's leadership. In March 2024, the United States imposed targeted sanctions on President Mnangagwa himself, along with his wife and other senior officials, citing their involvement in corruption and serious human rights abuses. The U.S. Treasury Department specifically accused Mnangagwa of protecting gold and diamond smuggling networks, directing government officials to facilitate illicit sales, and taking bribes in exchange for his services.
The names of Wicknell Chivayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei have become synonymous with the kind of crony capitalism that has flourished under Mnangagwa's rule. These individuals, with their ostentatious displays of wealth, represent a system where political connections matter more than merit or legality. According to investigative reports, Tagwirei received treasury bills at favourable exchange rates while running the Command Agriculture program, epitomizing the kind of corruption that has become endemic under the current administration.
Infrastructure in Ruins
The evidence of this corruption is visible everywhere in Zimbabwe's crumbling infrastructure. The state of the country's roads tells a story of neglect and misplaced priorities. While billions of dollars disappear through corrupt deals, ordinary Zimbabweans struggle with impassable roads that hamper economic activity and isolate communities. The deterioration of basic infrastructure reflects a government more concerned with enriching its allies than serving its people.
A Health System in Collapse
Zimbabwe's health system provides perhaps the starkest example of the human cost of corruption and misgovernance. The system is overwhelmed and underfunded, struggling to cope with multiple crises simultaneously. A devastating cholera outbreak that began in February 2023 has resulted in over 28,500 cases and nearly 600 deaths across all ten provinces by 2024. This preventable disease outbreak is a direct consequence of failed governance – inadequate water and sanitation systems, poor public health infrastructure, and corruption that diverts resources away from essential services.
With over 1.3 million people living with HIV and recurrent outbreaks of typhoid and measles, the health crisis extends far beyond cholera. An estimated 2.6 million people, including 1.7 million children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The crude mortality rate speaks to a system that has fundamentally failed its people.
Economic Devastation and Unemployment
While official unemployment figures claim rates around 8-9%, independent economists paint a far grimmer picture, estimating that between 85-90% of Zimbabwe's workforce is unemployed or underemployed. This massive discrepancy between official statistics and reality reflects the government's attempts to mask the true extent of the economic catastrophe.
The introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency in April 2024, backed by foreign reserves and precious metals, represents yet another attempt to address symptoms rather than causes. Previous currency reforms have failed because they did not address the underlying issues of corruption, poor governance, and lack of confidence in the country's leadership.
The Assault on Civil Society and Free Expression
Human Rights Watch's 2025 World Report confirms what many Zimbabweans experience daily: authorities have systematically undermined democratic processes, repressed civil society, and restricted political pluralism. The space for dissent has shrunk dramatically under Mnangagwa's rule. Citizens must indeed look over their shoulders before criticizing the government, as the original piece noted.
UN experts have warned about legislation designed to stifle civil society organizations, particularly those representing dissenting voices. Freedom House's assessment shows that Mnangagwa has largely retained the legal, administrative, and security architecture of the Mugabe era while consolidating his authority through repression.
International Recognition of the Crisis
The international community's response has been increasingly firm. The U.S. sanctions imposed in 2024 represent a significant escalation, directly targeting the head of state and his inner circle. These measures acknowledge what many Zimbabweans have long known: that the promise of reform was empty rhetoric, and that the current leadership represents continuity rather than change.
The Path Forward
The original assessment that "regime change is the only solution" reflects the frustration of many Zimbabweans who see no prospect for reform within the current system. The consolidation of corrupt networks, the systematic repression of civil society, and the failure to address basic human needs all point to a government that has lost its legitimacy.
Zimbabwe's crisis is not merely economic – it is fundamentally a crisis of governance and human rights. Until there is genuine accountability, respect for civil liberties, and an end to the culture of impunity that protects corrupt elites, the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans will continue.
The international community's growing recognition of this reality, as evidenced by the 2024 sanctions, suggests that change may eventually come from external pressure where internal reform has failed. However, sustainable solutions must ultimately emerge from within Zimbabwe itself, driven by the democratic aspirations of its people who deserve far better than the current trajectory of decline and repression.
Key Sources and References:
- Human Rights Watch World Report 2025: Zimbabwe - Documenting systematic undermining of democratic processes and civil society repression
- U.S. Treasury Department Press Release (March 2024) - Details of sanctions against Mnangagwa and associates for corruption and human rights abuses
- Freedom House Freedom in the World 2024: Zimbabwe - Assessment of political rights and civil liberties
- The Sentry Investigative Reports - Detailed corruption investigations involving Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Command Agriculture program
- European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) Zimbabwe Factsheet 2024 - Humanitarian crisis statistics including cholera outbreak data
- Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index (BTI) 2024: Zimbabwe - Economic and governance assessment including real unemployment estimates
For more information and to support human rights advocacy in Zimbabwe, visit ZHRO - Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation plus ZEXIT and Take2Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Disapora Coummunity