ON August 22, 2025, a senior government minister, Felix Mhona, travelled nearly 600 kilometres from Harare to Nkayi. His mission was to officially open a new five kilometre section of the Bulawayo-Nkayi road.
Government reports state the event brought “community joy” and that the road will help the local economy and improve travel.
On that very same day, the then Acting President of Zimbabwe, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, was also presiding over an official event.
He unveiled 10 “state-of-the-art” chemotherapy chairs at Mpilo Central Hospital. It is important to note that these chairs were a donation from a charity, Cancer Serve, not a government purchase. A simple Google search tells you each of these “state-of-the-art” chairs costs less than US$50 in South Africa.
These two events on the same day create a clear and troubling picture.
The highest levels of our government are using their time and authority to celebrate very small achievements.
One event was for a tiny part of a long delayed road project. The other was to receive a charitable donation worth a few hundred dollars.
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This pattern is a problem.
Other countries are building huge projects such as dams, railways, and new cities worth billions of dollars. Ethiopia, for instance, celebrates the Grand Renaissance Dam, Kenya its Standard Gauge Railway, and Egypt its new administrative capital — projects worth tens of billions of dollars, transforming economies.
In Zimbabwe, our leaders are celebrating five kilometres of road and donated medical chairs. While these items are helpful, they are not major national achievements worthy of a presidential or ministerial ceremony.
This five kilometre short stretch of road likely took many years to complete. A car driving at 120 km/h covers this distance in just two and a half minutes. Therefore, the minister’s trip used significant time and public resources for a very small result.
The history of the Bulawayo-Nkayi road makes the official opening event difficult to accept. Construction began in 1993 and was supposed to finish by 1999. Due to lack of commitment and funding, the project is still not complete after more than 30 years. Celebrating a small part of this long delayed project feels like a distraction from the government’s overall failure to finish the work.
These ceremonies appear to be more about gaining political attention than about real development. The government should focus on completing large projects and funding essential healthcare equipment itself. They should work quietly and efficiently, only announcing the news when they have delivered truly significant results.
As a nation, we must aim higher. We should expect our leaders to deliver complete, significant projects that truly move the country forward. We must move away from politics that celebrate very small steps and donated gifts.
