President Emmerson Mnangagwa has once again reminded us that Zanu PF is not interested in real development or progress. Today in Torwood, Kwekwe, he gave 10 000 chicks and stockfeed to the Midlands Zanu PF Women’s League under what he proudly calls the Presidential Poultry Scheme. This is not leadership. It is manipulation. It is just another example of how Zanu PF continues to use poverty as a tool to buy loyalty and control the people.
For decades now, Zanu PF has made sure that most citizens remain poor. This is not an accident. It is part of their political strategy. A poor population is easier to control. When people are desperate, they cannot speak out. They cannot challenge authority. They cannot vote freely. They are forced to depend on the ruling party for survival. That is why instead of building industries or creating real jobs, the government gives out chickens and food parcels.
In any normal country, the government’s job is to build a stable and fair economy where every citizen has a chance to work and live a dignified life. People should be able to feed their families through their own effort, not through handouts from politicians. A healthy economy rewards hard work, not political loyalty. But in Zimbabwe, Zanu PF has destroyed that possibility. They have made sure that survival depends on obedience. Poverty has become a political weapon.
The so-called Presidential Poultry Scheme may sound like a development project on the surface. But if you take a closer look, you will see that it is nothing more than a political trap. Giving out 10 000 chicks will not change the fact that our currency is worthless. It will not stop the corruption that bleeds our country dry. It will not bring back the companies that closed because of years of mismanagement and theft. These chickens are not about solutions. They are about control. And they only benefit those who toe the Zanu PF line.
True progress would mean building systems where everyone has an equal chance to succeed regardless of their political beliefs. It would mean supporting entrepreneurs, farmers, workers, and students without asking them who they vote for. But Zanu PF fears independence. They fear citizens who can stand on their own and speak their minds. That is why they fight real reform and offer chickens instead.
It is heartbreaking that after more than forty years of rule, the people of Zimbabwe are still being offered such crumbs. During election time or whenever the regime feels pressure, they roll out these staged programs to create the illusion of caring. But once the cameras are gone and the speeches end, nothing changes. The people remain poor. The country remains broken. And the leaders continue living in luxury.
The Midlands Zanu PF Women’s League will now be expected to show loyalty and gratitude. They will be reminded again and again who gave them the chicks. This is how the ruling party builds dependence. This is how it demands obedience. It is not development. It is political slavery.
Zimbabwe is not poor by nature. We have land. We have minerals. We have smart and hardworking people. But as long as we are led by men who believe poverty is useful for politics, we will never unlock our true potential. We need a new kind of leadership. One that builds people up instead of keeping them down. One that invests in lasting progress and not in temporary gifts.
This is why we must raise our voices. We must say no to fake empowerment. We must demand policies that uplift the entire nation. Not just those who sing at rallies. Until then, Zimbabwe will remain stuck under the weight of a ruling party that gives out chickens while robbing the people of their future.
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