Who Will Fix Zimbabwe? The Case for an Awakened Citizenry

 A social media post recently posed a challenge that has resonated across Africa:

"Instead of getting angry at South Africans, how about if we self-introspect and start fixing our countries?"

The statement was intended to provoke reflection, particularly in light of growing tensions around migration in Southern Africa. Yet it also raises a deeper question: how does a society begin fixing itself when many citizens feel powerless, unheard, or excluded from meaningful participation in public affairs?

This question is particularly relevant for Zimbabwe.

For decades, Zimbabweans have debated economic decline, corruption, unemployment, governance challenges, service delivery failures, and the migration of skilled professionals. Yet despite these conversations, many citizens increasingly feel disconnected from the processes through which change is supposed to occur.

When people lose confidence that institutions will respond to their concerns, hopelessness begins to take root.

One of the most powerful observations ever made about systems of domination is that the greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor is often the mind of the oppressed. The most effective form of control is not always force. It is convincing people that they are powerless, that their participation does not matter, and that change is impossible.

Once citizens begin to believe this, they disengage.

They stop attending community meetings. They stop following public affairs. They stop demanding accountability. They stop voting or participating in civic processes. Politics becomes something done by others and for others.

Yet history shows that societies rarely improve through citizen withdrawal.

Successful nations are not built solely by governments. They are built by active citizens who understand both their rights and their responsibilities.

This is perhaps one of Zimbabwe's greatest challenges today. The country does not suffer from a shortage of talent, intelligence, or resources. Zimbabwe possesses vast mineral wealth, fertile agricultural land, entrepreneurial energy, and one of the most educated populations on the African continent.

The challenge lies elsewhere.

The challenge is transforming citizens from spectators into participants.

Far too often, public discourse is dominated by a small number of politicians, activists, journalists, and commentators, while the majority watch from the sidelines. Yet democracy was never intended to be a spectator sport. National development requires the participation of ordinary citizens, professionals, churches, students, businesspeople, workers, and communities.

A healthy society depends on citizens who are willing to engage respectfully but courageously in public affairs.

This includes asking difficult questions about governance.

It includes demanding transparency in the management of public resources.

It includes defending constitutional principles.

It includes speaking against corruption regardless of who is involved.

Most importantly, it includes understanding that criticism of government is not necessarily criticism of the nation itself.

Patriotism and accountability are not opposites.

In fact, genuine patriotism often requires accountability. Citizens who raise concerns about corruption, poor service delivery, or institutional weaknesses are frequently motivated not by hatred of their country but by a desire to see it succeed.

No family improves by ignoring problems.

No business improves by hiding failures.

No nation improves by discouraging honest conversation.

Constructive criticism should therefore be understood as a contribution to national development rather than a threat to it.

At the same time, citizens must recognise that meaningful change requires more than criticism alone. It requires organisation.

Throughout history, progress has been driven by citizens who worked collectively around shared goals. Communities organised around education. Workers organised around labour rights. Churches organised around social justice. Civic groups organised around governance and accountability.

Change rarely emerges from isolated individuals acting alone.

It emerges when citizens discover common purpose.

This is where civic education becomes essential. Citizens must understand how Parliament functions, how local authorities operate, how public budgets are allocated, and how constitutional rights are protected. An informed citizen is more difficult to manipulate and better equipped to hold institutions accountable.

Knowledge creates confidence.

Confidence encourages participation.

Participation strengthens accountability.

Accountability improves governance.

This sequence may sound simple, but it is fundamental to the development of every successful democracy.

Zimbabwe's future will not be determined solely by political leaders. It will also be shaped by the willingness of ordinary citizens to engage constructively in national life. The Constitution belongs to all Zimbabweans. Public institutions belong to all Zimbabweans. National resources belong to all Zimbabweans.

The country itself belongs to all Zimbabweans.

The challenge before us is therefore not merely political or economic. It is civic.

The question is not only what government should do differently. The question is whether citizens are prepared to reclaim their role as active participants in the nation's future.

A stronger Zimbabwe will require capable leaders. But it will also require informed citizens, courageous communities, and a population that understands that democracy is not something that happens to people. It is something people actively sustain.

The future of Zimbabwe depends not only on those who govern, but also on those who are governed.

And history suggests that when citizens rediscover their collective voice, nations can change in ways that once seemed impossible.

Dr Shame Mugova is a Lecturer in Finance at Birmingham City University. The views expressed in this article are his own.