BY SPEARS TAPFUMANEYI
NEW Political party United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) leader president Elisabeth Valerio says the country has been plagued by so many challenges last year and beyond emanating from a “leadership vacuum.”
Valerio told Chaminukanews24.com that there was need for vibrant social, political and economic policy reforms to improve the citizens’ well being in 2023 accusing the Zanu PF led government’s of failure to adhere to its constitutional mandate.
“Our nation has been plagued by challenges emanating from gross mismanagement, lack of constitutional compliance, failure to adhere to the rule of law and corruption,”she said.
“The current policy reforms have not improved the economic standing of the country let alone the lives and general wellbeing of the ordinary Zimbabwean. The majority of our citizens live in abject poverty and have access to only one or two meals a day.”
She also expressed concern over the court striking down of several bail applications by the imprisoned Citizens Coalition for Change vice chairperson Job Sikhala, adding that the country needs a new leadership that would address the country’s challenges.
she said.
“It is sad that our nation is carrying forward injustices against politically connected individuals. Sikhala is still languishing in remand prison despite bail being a constitutional right. When Robert Mugabe (the late former President) was ousted from power Mnangagwa promised that the government was turning over a new leaf but there is still a partisan approach in the application of justice,” she said.
“We fear that Zimbabwe will witness the continued persecution of opposition stalwarts. This persecution will potentially worsen our reputation as a nation. Government should walk the talk and stop using state apparatus to settle and score political points against its perceived opponents. The law should not be applied selectively.”
Valerio also added that the government interventions has failed to address gender and structural imbalances in the economic and political circles.
“Government’s interventions have failed to rectify the existing disparities. This is why even today in Zimbabwe poverty has a female face,” she said.
However the government maintains that the country’s economic fortunes are being hampered by sanctions alongside Covid 19.
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