Zimbabwe First: Why Politics as Usual Can’t Build the Nation We Deserve

By Trevor Ncube

Zimbabwe stands at a painful but necessary reckoning: our nation is broken—and so are we. The politics of hate, division, and greed has shredded our social fabric and wounded our collective psyche. This is no longer just a political or economic crisis; it is a crisis of the soul.

For more than four decades, we have been trapped in a destructive cycle: disputed elections, political violence, economic collapse, and institutional decay. The very politics that brought us here cannot take us forward. ZANU-PF has presided over a ruinous legacy of authoritarianism, corruption, and misrule. The opposition, once a symbol of hope, now staggers under the weight of political immaturity and internal divisions. Their failure to provide credible alternatives has left Zimbabweans with nowhere to turn.

The result is a country in freefall. Our economy is in tatters. Inflation devours our earnings. Our currency is a joke. Deindustrialisation has driven millions into the shadows of the informal economy—or out of the country entirely. Our brightest minds are scattered across the globe, refugees of misrule. Our youth, stripped of opportunity, drown in despair, drug abuse, or silence.

We cannot continue like this. Forty-Five years of this national drudgery is enough. What Zimbabwe needs is not another election under a broken system, but a fundamental reset. We need to press the national “reset” button and rebuild—together.

There is, thankfully, growing recognition that politics as usual will not birth the Zimbabwe we yearn for. A new consensus is emerging: that we must meet each other beyond the narrow confines of party politics. It is time for patriots—regardless of affiliation—to unite behind one banner: Zimbabwe First.

We must convene an All-Stakeholders National Conference https://bit.ly/4jy5oXN—a sacred national conversation that brings together political actors, civil society, traditional leaders, business, youth, diaspora, religious communities, war veterans, and security forces. Everyone who loves Zimbabwe must have a seat at this table. Not to compete. But to collaborate. Not to score points. But to chart a new course.

From this conversation, a National Transitional Authority (NTA) https://digital.amh.co.zw/uploads/amh/ZIMIND-25042025-6.pdf must emerge—time-bound, non-partisan, and focused solely on healing and rebuilding. The NTA would suspend the current executive and legislative arms for a defined period. Its purpose? To restore constitutionalism, reform the electoral framework, rebuild institutions, and stabilise the economy. It would offer our nation a much-needed political Sabbath—a moment to breathe, regroup and reimagine.

Who should lead this? Certainly not those who led us here. ZANU-PF’s corrupting culture has contaminated every sphere of life. Even the church has not been spared. But within the faith community, there remains a remnant—men and women of integrity—who can help us find our moral compass. They must be brave enough to rise.

This healing will not come from politicians alone. It will take a coalition of conscience.

Faith leaders must step into their prophetic role, becoming conveners and moral guides. Business leaders, long battered by inconsistent policy and corruption, must champion economic renewal and integrity. Our youth, who represent our largest demographic and our greatest hope, must move from being campaign props to decision-makers and drivers of innovation. Liberation war veterans, whose sacrifice gave us independence, must now fight for a future that honours their struggle. The uniformed forces, suffering like all Zimbabweans, must protect—not the party—but the people and the Constitution.

But the greatest obstacle to change is not in the corridors of power—it is in our hearts. Many of us have allowed our political loyalties to cloud our national responsibilities. We cheer for our political “teams” even as the house around us burns. We must now ask: are we loyal to political parties, or to the people of Zimbabwe?

When a child goes hungry, the parent’s party card doesn’t feed them. When a sick mother dies for lack of medicine, her vote doesn’t buy her treatment. When a graduate sits jobless at home, party slogans offer no employment. Our suffering is universal. So must be our solution.

Zimbabwe’s crisis is not red, green or yellow. It is national. It is moral. It is urgent.

We must summon the courage to admit that partisan politics has failed us. That elections under this poisoned system are not a path to peace or prosperity. That neither ZANU-PF nor the current opposition can lead us into the future. They are products of a broken past, not architects of a better tomorrow.

What we need now is not another political messiah. What we need is each other. A citizen-led movement. A collective awakening. A re-commitment to national values—honesty, humility, service, and love.

The NTA and All-Stakeholders Conference are not magical solutions. But they are a beginning. A chance to pause, rethink, and rebuild. A chance to write a new story—not of blame and bitterness—but of healing and hope.

Zimbabwe has always had the ingredients of greatness—natural resources, strategic location, and above all, a resilient and resourceful people. What we have lacked is leadership that unites and institutions that serve. Now is the time to change that.

We are the leaders we have been waiting for.

Let us rise—from the ruins of division, from the debris of despair—and rebuild Zimbabwe together. The future cannot be built by divided hands. It requires a nation united by purpose, by truth, and by love.

Let us love Zimbabwe more than we love our political parties. Let us serve the nation more than we serve our egos. Let us put Zimbabwe first.

Coming together to fix what we broke will not be easy. But it is necessary. And it is possible.

The time for blame is over. The time for bold, collective action is now.

Trevor Ncube is a media entrepreneur and Founder & Managing Partner of Trevor & Associates www.trevorandassociates.com

Trevor Ncube is Chairman of Alpha Media Holdings and host of In Conversation With Trevor. This is an excerpt from the weekly Newsletter .
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In Conversation With Trevor

In Conversation with Blessed Mhlanga,

Blessed Mhlanga, Senior Journalist at HStv and Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) breaks his silence on his harrowing 73-day arbitrary detention, the inhumane treatment he endured, and his unyielding resolve to continue speaking truth to power. Watch his episode here…

Audience Responses:

Blessed Mhlanga, our community had this to say:

@Redeemrise:

Blessed Mhlanga is a true symbol of courage and integrity, standing tall for truth even in the face of injustice. Your voice matters. God bless you

@christophersithole9869:

I wrote a whole book on this after my practical experience – our justice delivery system is in the ICI wrote a whole book on this after my practical experience – our justice delivery system is in the ICU

@kasongohwan

Dhara B…I can’t find the words to thank you for what you do – telling the truth. The way we see truth will differ, but the TRUTH always stands. You’re courageous and the world doesn’t reward that, only your Creator does. Be Blessed as your name commands🙏

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