Zimbabwe Today

Zimbabwe became an independent nation in April 1980 following the Lancaster House Agreement.

There has been a chronological sequence of events that lead to the downfall of the nation from being one of Africa's most developed nations to the world's worst nations economically and socially.

I will try to jot down the reasons behind this massacre:

1. The Land Reform Program initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe: This was an attempt of an equitable distribution of land among the population. The majority of the land was owned by the minority white farmers in the nation, which was supposed to be given back to the blacks. This in turn saw a major reduction in the agricultural production of the country and increase of disputed land in the nation causing a decrease in the productivity. This created a shortage of agricultural products which was once the backbone of the economy, creating a demand supply mismatch.


2. Operation Murambatsvina was initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe following the elections in 2005. An operation aimed towards the crackdown of the illegal markets and towns that caused the emergence of slums in the towns and cities, so as to provide decent housing and living conditions. This in turn, left a huge chunk of population homeless without any rehabilitation.


3. Humanitarian Crisis has reached a stage wherein the population is chronically suffering droughts affecting the entire region, HIV/AIDS Epidemic gaining monstrous proportions (1.8 million affected), and unsupportive government price control and land reform policies. There has been a dramatic decrease in the life expectancy from 60 to 37 since 1990, which is the lowest in the world.


4. Hyperinflation is attributed to the majority of the issues pertaining to the human population in Zimbabwe. Beginning 2000, the national economy contracted by as much as 40%; inflation has vaulted to over 164,900.3% (official est.) , and there is persistent shortages of foreign exchange, local currency, fuel, medicine, and food. GDP per capita has dropped by 40%, agricultural output dropped by 51% and industrial production dropped by 47%. A $500 million bearer cheque was introduced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) on May 15 2008 valued at about USD 1.93 at the time of issue. The situation is worsened due to the difference between the Official and Black Market rate.


5. A War with the Democratic Republic of Congo has been fought at the expense of billions which by no means have helped the cause of the people of Zimbabwe.