Mmegi

Time is the architecture of change

More time: Zimbabwe president, Emmerson Mnangagwa
More time: Zimbabwe president, Emmerson Mnangagwa

Zimbabwean politics carries a familiar tension. It is the tension of a nation that has waited decades for meaningful change, yet expects that change to arrive quickly, cleanly and without friction. It is an understandable impatience, but it is also a dangerous one. Because history is clear on one point: change is not an event. It is a process. And processes take time.

This is what makes the current debate around extending the presidential term and reforming the electoral system more than a political contest. At its core, it is a design question. It asks what kind of system gives a society the best chance not just to change leadership, but to transform outcomes.

Zimbabwe has been here before. In 2013, when the Movement for Democratic Change sought a delay of elections through the Southern African Development Community, the argument was not simply about political advantage. It was about timing and structure.

Editor's Comment
Salakae-DCEC public war serves neither justice nor Botswana

When institutions trade accusations with suspects, citizens begin choosing sides before the first witness enters the box or testifies.Salakae and six others are due to appear in court over allegations linked to the Ghanzi–New Xade road contract.The State alleges that the Member of Parliament for Ghanzi received cash, a Toyota Fortuner and bush-clearing services in return for influencing the award of the contract. However, Salakae denies...

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