What if government in Zimbabwe wasn’t a wall we must climb, but a bridge we can cross, swiftly, openly, and with our dignity intact?
That simple shift in perspective has the power to transform our country’s future. Imagine a Zimbabwe where government is not something to be avoided, feared, or tolerated, but trusted — a Zimbabwe where public service delivery is defined by speed, humanity, and ubuntu. Where getting a birth certificate, renewing a passport, or accessing farming subsidies doesn’t feel like running a bureaucratic marathon barefoot.
Right now, our governance systems are relics — outdated frameworks inherited from the colonial era, corroded over time by inefficiency, inertia, and graft. These systems were never designed for the kind of innovative, digital, and connected future Zimbabwe aspires to. In many cases, they have become more than just unfit — they are outright hostile to the very people they are meant to serve.
What we need is not reform. It is re-foundation. What we have doesn’t need improvement, it needs reinvention.
Every Zimbabwean has a story about government inefficiency — being sent from office to office for a basic business registration.
These are not isolated incidents. They are everyday experiences resulting from a government structure that scales complexity instead of clarity.
What we normally see from leadership are cosmetic changes: new logos, and slogans. But no amount of fresh paint can salvage a building whose foundation is cracked.
Zimbabwe needs a governance system designed for the realities of today and the possibilities of tomorrow. This calls for a national framework built not on legacy thinking but on bold innovation.
- Zim: From bureaucratic walls to bridges of dignity
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Other countries are already doing this. Rwanda’s Irembo platform offers over 100 services online, drastically cutting down queues and turnaround times. Kenya’s eCitizen portal now handles over half a million transactions monthly, saving citizens time and money.
Zimbabwe doesn’t lack the talent or tools. We lack the boldness to do the teardown.
One such bold innovation is Navala Global, a Zimbabwean-founded digital platform reimagining what’s possible at the intersection of public health, diaspora engagement, and digital governance.
Navala Global is more than a healthcare solution—it’s a proof-of-concept for how modern digital infrastructure can address structural inefficiencies and inequalities.
Through its rural and remote eHealth clinic model, Navala connects patients in hard to reach areas with specialists hundreds of miles away, via secure digital consultations. In a country where doctors are scarce and distances vast, this isn’t a luxury — it is a lifeline.
Even more transformative is Navala’s integrated financial model: it allows family members to pool resources in real time to pay for vital services, be it maternal care, diagnostics, or chronic disease management. This direct line of support bypasses inefficient remittance systems and empowers families to take healthcare into their own hands.
At the core of Navala is a centralised, interoperable data system designed for secure, future-ready scalability.
This is not just about health. It is about creating digital trust infrastructure that could be applied across sectors. It is an ecosystem that embodies what re-engineered governance could look like—efficient, transparent, and centered on human dignity.
Here is a provocative idea: what if we treated the time of citizens as a national asset, as precious as gold, water, or land?
Because when you add it all up, the hours we waste at government offices run into millions. That is millions of hours not spent working or raising families. Every unnecessary form or approval process is a drag on national productivity.
And this is not just about efficiency but dignity, and respect. We need a government that defaults to trust, not suspicion, and values time over process. A re-engineered governance system would treat bureaucracy as the enemy of progress.
Dr. Nota is an economist, public health advisor, and a compliance and ethics professional. He is the founder of Navala Global and has previously served in both academic and policy roles in the United States. This article is Part 6 in a series Dr. Nota is writing on Rethinking Zim’s Economic Development. These weekly New Perspectives articles published in the Zimbabwe Independent are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private) Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society (ZES) and past president of the Chartered Governance & Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe (CGI Zim) or Mobile No. 263 772 382 852
