How does Zimbabwe hope to develop when those in power don’t even understand what economic goals we want to achieve?

Today, as I listened to some senior government officials, including legislators, talk about their expectations ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address delivered in Parliament this afternoon, I could not help but shake my head in disbelief.

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It struck me, with painful clarity, that those leading this country have no clue what they are talking about when it comes to Zimbabwe’s so-called “Vision 2030.”

What is even more disturbing is that these are not random people plucked from the street, but the very individuals tasked with shaping and implementing national policy.

Yet, if one listens closely to their speeches and interviews, there is no consistency or even a basic understanding of what Zimbabwe’s economic goals actually are.

It is almost tragic to hear different high-ranking government officials—including cabinet ministers—each confidently pronouncing a different version of what Vision 2030 supposedly entails.

Some say Zimbabwe aims to achieve an “upper middle-income status by 2030.”

Others say it is an “upper middle class by 2030.”

Then there are those who insist it is an “upper middle-income economy by 2030.”

A few even concoct hybrid versions such as “upper middle-class economy by 2030.”

These may sound like trivial linguistic variations, but they reflect something far more serious: a profound confusion and lack of clarity at the highest levels of government about what exactly Zimbabwe is striving for.

So, which is it?

If those tasked with governing and driving the nation’s development agenda cannot even agree on what our economic destination looks like, then how on earth do we expect to ever arrive there?

How can we claim to be on a journey toward prosperity when the very people steering the ship don’t know where they are headed?

This confusion is not a minor semantic issue—it is symptomatic of a government that operates without a clear, measurable, and coherent vision.

To my knowledge, the only recognized and legitimate economic classification that exists in global economics is an “upper middle-income economy,” as defined by the World Bank.

It refers to countries with a per capita income between roughly US$4,466 and US$13,845.

That’s it.

There is no such thing as an “upper middle-income class” or “upper middle-income status.”

These are meaningless phrases that have no grounding in economics or development theory.

So, when senior government officials—including those who sit in Cabinet—use such terms interchangeably, it reveals not just ignorance but a disturbing lack of seriousness about our national aspirations.

This inconsistency and confusion speak volumes about the absence of a real, thought-out plan.

It suggests that “Vision 2030” is less of a strategic roadmap and more of a convenient slogan—something to be parroted for political effect rather than implemented with precision and purpose.

In fact, I am increasingly convinced that this vagueness is intentional.

By keeping the goals deliberately undefined and confusing, those in power make it impossible for anyone—especially ordinary citizens—to measure progress or hold them accountable.

Think about it: if no one truly understands what Vision 2030 means in practical, measurable terms, then how do we know whether we are succeeding or failing?

How can a teacher, for instance, know if by 2030 they have attained the “empowerment” that was promised?

Would that mean earning a decent salary comparable to the regional average of about US$1,500 per month?

What about rural dwellers—what would “Vision 2030” mean for them?

Access to electricity?

Decent housing?

Running water?

The truth is, no one knows, because no one has ever been told in clear, concrete terms what the so-called vision entails for the ordinary Zimbabwean.

Instead, what we have is a political catchphrase—“Vision 2030”—that is used to justify or glorify every minor government activity, no matter how trivial.

When a 10-kilometer stretch of road is rehabilitated, it is hailed as a step toward achieving “Vision 2030.”

When a borehole is drilled in a rural village, it’s suddenly proof of progress toward a technically non-existent “upper middle-income status.”

Even small token gestures, such as distributing groceries or giving civil servants a token “presidential bonus,” are presented as steps toward this elusive dream.

This is pure nonsense.

It’s political theatre meant to distract citizens from the harsh reality that nothing fundamental is changing in their lives.

By the time we reach 2030, the risk is that the government will once again declare “success,” claiming Zimbabwe has achieved Vision 2030 even as millions remain in poverty.

We will be told that we are now an “upper middle-income country” simply because there are more boreholes, a few roads have been resurfaced, and maybe the Harare-Bulawayo dual carriageway will have finally reached Selous from Norton.

Meanwhile, over 80 percent of our population will likely still be living below the poverty datum line, more than 90 percent of our people will remain unemployed, and the majority will still struggle to afford a decent meal a day.

Maybe by 2030 we will still be enduring the same incessant power cuts, as Parliament itself was plunged into darkness while President Mnangagwa delivered his State of the Nation Address today.

That is not progress.

That is deception.

And it’s a deception sustained by confusion—confusion that is neither accidental nor innocent.

When those in power constantly shift definitions and benchmarks, they create an environment where accountability becomes impossible.

If Vision 2030 means everything, then it effectively means nothing.

It becomes an empty shell, a slogan that can be invoked to praise any minor government effort, regardless of whether it meaningfully improves people’s lives.

The real danger is that this confusion numbs the nation into complacency.

Citizens become so accustomed to hearing “Vision 2030” that they stop questioning what it actually means.

They stop demanding specifics.

And in that silence, those in power continue their self-serving agenda unchallenged.

In truth, the only vision that seems to be taking shape by 2030 is not one of national transformation, but one of political survival—perhaps even an attempt to justify extending President Mnangagwa’s rule by two more years beyond his constitutional limit, under the convenient excuse of “completing Vision 2030.”

So, as we listen to the endless speeches and slogans about Vision 2030, we must ask ourselves: vision for whom?

For the ordinary Zimbabwean struggling to make ends meet, or for the elite few who have captured the state and continue enriching themselves at the expense of the majority?

Because, at the rate we are going, it appears the only people who will be smiling all the way to the bank in 2030 will be the politically connected and the privileged — the Wicknell Chivhayos of this world, who have openly declared their ambitions to become billionaires — while the rest of us remain trapped in poverty, hopelessness, and despair.

Zimbabwe cannot develop when its leaders do not even understand, let alone agree, on what development means.

A true vision must be clear, measurable, and inclusive.

It must tell a teacher, a nurse, a farmer, or a vendor what 2030 will look like for them in concrete terms—how much they will earn, what services they can access, and what quality of life they can expect.

Without that clarity, Vision 2030 will remain just another empty slogan, no different from all the other broken promises that have littered our nation’s history.

Until those in power begin to speak the same economic language—and more importantly, define what prosperity truly means for every Zimbabwean—our so-called Vision 2030 will remain nothing but a mirage.

It will be a dream sold to the masses to buy time and loyalty, while the powerful continue to feast.

And when 2030 finally arrives, we will look around and realize that the only “vision” achieved was that of the ruling elite—who saw clearly from the beginning that this was never about transforming Zimbabwe, but about securing their own future at the expense of ours.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/