GLITZ OVER GRIT: MNANGAGWA’S SUMMIT CHARADE HIDES ZIMBABWE’S PAIN

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is preparing to roll out the red carpet. As Zimbabwe readies to host the SADC summit in Harare this August, the government is racing to refurbish roads, build luxurious villas, and glamorize key venues like the new Parliament Building and the renovated Hyatt Regency Harare. On the surface, these upgrades seem like steps toward national pride and regional prestige. But dig a little deeper, and the cracks begin to show—this is not about national progress, but political theatre.

Mnangagwa’s plan is simple: distract, disguise, and dazzle. After a disputed electoral win that even SADC leaders refused to endorse, he now hopes to buy back legitimacy through bricks, marble, and manicured lawns. This summit is less about regional cooperation and more about rewriting the narrative of a failing presidency. It’s a desperate attempt to turn the spotlight away from a broken economy, a frustrated public, and a government teetering on a mountain of empty promises.

These spectacles are nothing new in politics. Dictators and strongmen the world over have long used vanity projects to impress foreign guests and silence critics. But when the lights fade and the motorcades drive off, the people are left in darkness—without jobs, without medicine, without hope.

In Zimbabwe, that darkness is real. Hospitals are collapsing. Schools are underfunded. Basic services like water, electricity, and healthcare are luxuries for the few, not rights for the many. Meanwhile, millions of dollars are being poured into villas for SADC delegates who will visit for only a few days. It’s a betrayal of the people, plain and simple.

This misalignment of priorities reveals Mnangagwa’s governance philosophy: image over substance, power over people. He is not building for Zimbabweans—he is building to be seen. In doing so, he follows a long and disgraceful tradition of leaders who care more about how they appear to the world than how their citizens live.

But image doesn’t feed families. Roads do not replace wages. Glass towers do not heal the sick. These are cosmetic fixes for structural wounds. And the longer the government ignores real problems, the deeper those wounds will get.

The damage goes beyond economics. When leaders invest in international showmanship over domestic well-being, they erode public trust. People begin to see through the illusion. They recognize that the fanfare is not for them. And when trust dies, so does peace. The risk of unrest, rebellion, and disillusionment becomes dangerously high.

Let’s not forget: Zimbabwe is a country with some of the richest mineral resources in Africa, yet it stands among the poorest. This paradox exists because of decisions like these—because those in power choose profit and praise over people. The SADC summit will come and go. Delegates will enjoy the polished floors, the high-end hospitality, the carefully orchestrated speeches. But after they leave, the real Zimbabwe will remain: battered, hungry, and unheard.

True leadership is not about impressing visitors. It’s about delivering for your people. It’s about lifting the poor, empowering the young, and restoring dignity to the masses. Mnangagwa’s SADC summit preparation is not leadership—it’s theatre. And the audience, both local and global, is no longer applauding.

The people of Zimbabwe deserve more than decoration. They deserve justice, jobs, and genuine progress. Until that becomes the government’s real focus, all the polished roads and shiny villas in the world won’t fix what’s broken.