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Reality Check: Zimbabwe's Shining Triumphs in 2025, Eclipsed by Doom-and-Gloom Narratives In a year that could have been etched in recent history as Zimbabwe's renaissance, 2025 has instead been overshadowed by relentless waves of doom and gloom—narratives fuelled by lies, fabrications, and misinformation designed to ignite unrest, sow division, and even flirt with coup fantasies à la 2017. Yet, beneath this toxic fog lies a nation surging forward: from global sporting triumphs to improved food security, economic rebounds and international accolades. Zimbabwe hasn't just turned a corner; it's charging ahead. But why are the country's achievements buried under a barrage of unrelenting negativity? The answer lies in the grip of amoral politics, a corrosive force that prioritises backward personal agendas over national unity. Here are five illustrative developments from 2025 that—while treated as fleeting footnotes in public discourse—are in fact game-changers, each delivering a reputational windfall for Zimbabwe that's been overshadowed by the negativity of naysayers. Kirsty Coventry's Historic IOC Presidency In March 2025, Kirsty Coventry—Africa's most decorated Olympian, with seven medals from the 2004 and 2008 Games—shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first woman and first African elected as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This milestone has positioned Zimbabwe as a world-class talent pool and a symbol of governance maturity, earning global respect. The reputational dividends are immense: enhanced soft power, diplomatic leverage (including support from development partners like China), and alignment with Zimbabwe's pursuit of a UN Security Council seat. Coventry's presidency counters decades of isolation under sanctions, spotlighting the country's potential for sports-led development, infrastructure investment, and youth inspiration. Yet, entangled in domestic political strife driven by amoral politics, the nation has struggled to fully capitalise on this windfall, allowing negative stereotypes to dilute its impact. Improved Food Security Zimbabwe's food security landscape transformed dramatically in 2025, as detailed in the World Food Programme's (WFP) July Markets Monitoring Survey. An above-average harvest, stable local currency (Zimbabwe Gold, or ZWG), and robust government-partner resilience programs ensured staple commodities like maize meal were available in 97% of monitored markets—a stark recovery from prior droughts. Prices plummeted year-on-year: maize meal dropped 5-11% in USD, sugar beans 9% in urban areas, and rice 4%. The Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) reflected this progress, with rural costs at USD 20.35 (13% lower than six months prior) and urban costs at USD 21.13 (a 4% month-on-month decline). For vulnerable households, this surge in affordability has been life-changing, easing income strains and fostering stability. Tragically, this narrative of abundance has been suffocated by the cacophony of despair peddled by amoral politicians and social media influencers fixated on negativity, who view the improved food security situation in the country as "propaganda". Robust Economic Rebound: 6% GDP Growth Projection Defying regional trends, Zimbabwe's 2025 real GDP is projected to grow by 6.0%, according to the World Bank, IMF, and African Development Bank (AfDB)—a sharp rebound from 2024's 1.7-2.0% slowdown and surpassing the SADC average of 2.2-3.0%. Key drivers include: Agricultural Revival: Post-El Niño recovery with favourable rains yielding up to 3.2 million tons of grain, projecting 12.8% sectoral growth and boosting hydropower and industry. Mining Boom: 5.6% expansion fuelled by high prices for gold, platinum group metals, and lithium, plus new investments. Macroeconomic Reforms: Tight policies, fiscal consolidation, and ZiG introduction stabilized exchange rates and curbed inflation to 23-31% by year-end. External Supports: A 15% rise in remittances, commodity prices, and energy improvements. Sectoral Expansion: 6.6% private consumption growth in trade, ICT, and tourism. By any objective measure, this momentum signals a new era of stability in the country, yet it's drowned out by voices intent on division rather than development. Geopolitical Shift: Proposed Repeal and Replacement of ZDERA A watershed moment occurred on 11 September 2025, with the introduction of Bill H.R. 5300 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Section 303 proposes repealing the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) of 2001, which barred U.S. support for multilateral loans unless reforms were met; and replacing it with a narrower focus: conditioning IMF/World Bank funding on Zimbabwe clearing inflation-adjusted arrears (about USD 3.5 billion) under the Global Compensation Deed crafted in Zimbabwe. If enacted, this could unlock infrastructure, health, and education reforms, easing Zimbabwe's path to normalised financial relations. Currently in committee, the Bill heralds potential acceleration of progress, contingent on the political stability being undermined by fabricated discourses of despair churned out by amoral politicians and their social media influencers. Forbes Crowns Zimbabwe: World's Top Destination for 2025 Forbes, the iconic global media powerhouse known for its authoritative rankings, named Zimbabwe the world's best country to visit in 2025, drawing from Kayak's Travel Check-in report on search spikes, wellness opportunities, and low-intensity adventures. With its allure in icons like Victoria Falls, Great Zimbabwe Monuments, and the Eastern Highlands, plus stunning wildlife safaris in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe outpaced Lithuania, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Argentina. Flight searches surged in 2025, with Bulawayo up 80% and Harare 56%, promising economic boosts to tourism. The Forbes accolade enhances the country's global image, counters stereotypes, and fosters investment in sustainable sectors like ecotourism and crafts. Yet, treated as a fleeting headline and overshadowed by negative narratives from social media influencers, its massive reputational potential has been squandered. Amoral Politics: The Roots of Negativity Public discourse on Zimbabwe's five major achievements in 2025 has been eclipsed by doom-and-gloom narratives that thrive on polarisation, embodying the Kiswahili adage "siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya" ("dirty politics leads to terrible life"), popularised by Kenya's second President, Daniel arap Moi. Such tactics—peddling misinformation to fan instability—stem from amoral politicians who view the country's development and progress as threats to their nefarious agendas. Drawing from a 1958 classic by Edward C. Banfield, The Moral Basis of a Backward Society, "amoral politics" derives from his concept of "amoral familism." In Banfield's impoverished Italian village on which his book is based, residents maximised short-term familial gains, assuming others did the same, which stifled collective values and progress. Transposed to politics, actors prioritise their "political families"—parties, factions, clans, or networks—over the national interest. This ethos manifests through several interconnected features, each mirroring Banfield's observations and perpetuating societal dysfunction. At its core is narrow self-interest, where decisions favour immediate personal networks, disregarding the broader public good—much like the family-first mindset that neglected community infrastructure in Banfield's village. This is compounded by an assumption of universal selfishness, breeding distrust that views everyone as pursuing individualism, thereby blocking genuine public initiatives; it echoes the isolation that prevented lasting associations in Banfield's study. Shared values are absent, normalising corruption, nepotism, and cronyism without guilt for betraying public trust, just as actions in Banfield's society were judged solely by family advantage. Short-termism dominates, focusing on quick "wins" like power-grabs through military coups while neglecting long-term challenges such as infrastructure development and institutional reforms. This leads to institutional erosion, weakening shared norms and resulting in stagnation from low civic engagement, as seen in the underdevelopment of Banfield's village. Polarisation intensifies, turning affiliations into insular echo chambers that fuel division through whataboutisms, smears, fabrications and misinformation, reflecting the envy and fragmentation among families that Banfield observed. Zimbabwe's amoral politicians and peddlers of negativity—ensconced in mutual-admiration echo chambers—eschew issues like the country's 2025 achievements in favour of personal attacks and pressures on Zimbabweans to entrench and perpetuate eternal feuds among and between themselves for "consistency." Amoral politicians fragment society, ensuring no common purpose emerges, all to safeguard their dirty politics. In particular, amoral politicians don't want Zimbabweans uniting in the national interest. If disagreements arise, they use lies, fabrications, and misinformation to make them irreconcilable and permanent. For these actors and their social media influencers, Zimbabweans must not be allowed to let bygones be bygones—that's the crux of their approach. Consequently, while they pretend to champion free speech, amoral politicians and their social media influencers present themselves as the thought police; they don't tolerate challenges to their views, always responding to criticism with vilification instead of rational engagement. Contrary opinions are branded as "fraudulent," "criminal," "corrupt," or "unconstitutional." They act as police, prosecutors, and judges rolled into one. In the same vein, while posing as democrats who value human rights and freedom of association, they apply these principles only to their echo chambers: declared "enemies" (like those labelled "zviganandas") have no such rights. Specifically, people affiliated with Zanu PF or stigmatized factions in that political party are deemed corrupt or evil by definition. Forging a United Future Beyond the Gloom Zimbabwe's 2025 achievements aren't anomalies or fleeting footnotes; they're proof of a nation making remarkable progress in its recovery and poised for greater development. From Coventry's global stage to food security gains, economic surges, and tourism booms, the evidence is irrefutable: the progress is real and accelerating. But amoral politics, with its backward mentality propelled by negative narratives, threatens to derail this momentum by dividing rather than uniting. It's time to reject the merchants of despair. Zimbabweans must reclaim the narrative and embrace collective action in the national interest. As Banfield warned in 1958, societies trapped in amoral individualism of any kind stagnate—while those that transcend it thrive. This year, 2025, should be remembered not for the gloom fabricated by amoral politicians and their social media influencers, but as the year Zimbabwe rose, united to break barriers to development and progress!