Zimbabwe has been a nation undone by the initiatives of its leadership. This depiction is accurate and won’t be changing anytime soon. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today said that more than 70 per cent of Zimbabweans were in need of food aid as the country’s economic outlook remains “uncertain.” The report when on to state that “poverty and unemployment have risen to catastrophic levels, with 70 per cent of the population in need of food assistance and a cholera epidemic ravaging the country. These disastrous outcomes have resulted from poor policies and weak governance“.

I believe it is clear that the new united government has grave challenges that hinder progression, and that Robert Mugabe has lost a great deal of the mental prowess that once won over independent Zimbabwe. However, I feel the needs of a people far outweigh the worries of setting a bad precedent by seemingly rewarding the nation of a tyrant with international charity.

The time is now for government bodies to prove that foreign aid through concessional loans and grants can have a direct and swift impact on a developing nations.

We’ve seen a growing school of thought besmirching the notion of aid for trade, self-serving prophecies that, when given to a corrupt government, rarely reach the target that were aimed at being aided. Such ideology, although in this blogger’s mind is fairly groundbreaking and accurate, does need to be addressed and rectified by government bodies. I feel there is no greater scenario in which support can be given than with Zimbabwe, a nation rattled with disease, stricken by poverty and lost without hope. 

What once was Africa’s Breadbasket may no longer be so again. However, that is not to say that the international community can’t raise a sunken ship under a doctrine of trust in a new government, trust in the efforts of Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC, and kick-start the righting of the IMF report’s prescription to Zimbabwe -”strong policies, better governance, and donor support are critical for a successful reconstruction of the country’s repayment capacity”.