TODAY the curtain comes down on what would go down as one of the toughest years for many Zimbabweans.
Many would remember 2013 as the year when narrow politics returned with a vengeance after some short-lived sanity occasioned by the formation of the inclusive government in 2009.
President Robert Mugabe appeared to be in a hurry to end the life of the inclusive government much to the destabilisation of an economy that had started to recover.
Company closures returned to haunt the ordinary worker and more people were thrown out of their jobs.
Towards the end of the year cash shortages resurfaced and long bank queues rekindled memories of the period before the formation of the inclusive government.
Millions of Zimbabweans across the country faced severe food shortages because of a poor 2011-2012 summer cropping season and the government’s lack of capacity to provide drought relief.
The country a held another controversial election where Mugabe ignored Sadc advice to delay the plebiscite until everyone was happy with systems that had been put in place for a credible poll.
The outcome of the July 31 polls was disputed by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and this means Mugabe’s legitimacy would be questioned for the next five years.
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Western countries refused to endorse the polls citing a number of irregularities.
The failure to hold credible elections has meant that Zimbabwe’s international isolation continues.
There was no solution in sight for the rapid deterioration of the economic situation in Bulawayo and indeed the whole country as the government’s energies appeared to be consumed by politics.
It is against this background that few have hope that 2014 would be different as the government does not appear to have concrete solutions to the economic problems.
However, it is time Zimbabweans acknowledged that no one has the power to change their situation other than themselves.
Simply mourning about our situation would not changing anything will not work. It should be everyone’s resolution to make a difference in 2014.
We cannot blame anyone but ourselves for the situation we find ourselves in and it is only us that have the power to change it.
