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TOMORROW, Zimbabwe marks the first year since Zanu-PF won elections most emphatically in 33 years of self-rule.
The revolutionary party had been unconvincing from 2000, giving MDC and later MDC and MDC-T reason to believe. That was because of a collapsed economy and Zanu-PF’s internal shortcomings manifesting themselves in the bhora musango phenomenon and voter apathy.

In March 2008, the ruling party’s popularity fell to its lowest ebb when it not only lost its parliamentary majority, but also trailed in second place in the presidential election. At that time, there was no economy to talk about, and the electorate protested through their votes. The party was saved by a 2005 amendment to the Electoral Act that says a presidential candidate would be considered to have won an election pitting more than two candidates if he or  she gets more than 50 percent of the valid vote. MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai had polled 1,195,562 votes, more than President Mugabe’s 1,079,730, but because Dr Simba Makoni and Langton Towungana were also in the race, he failed to achieve the 50-percent-plus-one threshold.

Zanu-PF then rallied for the June 2008 presidential election run-off. President Mugabe garnered 2,150,269 votes, to Tsvangirai’s  233,000.

Neither Zanu-PF, with 99 seats nor MDC-T, with 100 controlled parliament, which meant that none of them could run government business alone. An agreement for a coalition government was then signed in September 2008, and it assumed office in February 2009.

What followed was a flawed union involving a revolutionary, nationalistic party and two counter-revolutionary formations. The partners fought daily for four years.

But while they fought during the inclusive government era, they, too, showed who among them was pro-people. Tsvangirai spent his time chasing women. He and his party showed how corrupt and poor they were in matters of governance. Professor Arthur Mutambara and his MDC were simply clueless. His lieutenants, led by Prof Welshman Ncube, expended their energies plotting a coup against him.

Therefore, the MDCs campaigned against themselves as Zanu-PF focused on July 31, 2013. It campaigned on the record of the land reform programme and started advancing a new, popular programme, indigenisation and economic empowerment.

Victory on July 31, 2013 was assured for Zanu-PF. President Mugabe won 61 percent of the vote and his party amassed 197 seats in the Lower House and 37 in the Senate. MDC-T got more than they deserved, 70 seats in the lower chamber and 21 in the Upper House.  The same applied to MDC who got four proportional representation seats in both chambers.

Tomorrow, Zanu-PF celebrates the first anniversary of that huge electoral victory.

We must point out that the past 12 months have been momentous but challenging too.

The inconsistencies of the inclusive government are gone, so government business is running smoothly, which is very important.

With a clean mandate, the revolutionary party is intensifying its programmes to indigenise ownership and control of the country’s natural resources, land and all that occurs on and in it. Recently, the government clarified that indigenous Zimbabweans and their government owned the natural resources and would use  that as their shareholding in any business deals they agree to with foreigners.

We have ZimAsset, the economic reconstruction and growth framework to take us to 2018. The blueprint encapsulates Zanu-PF’s agenda of ensuring that indigenous people take control of their economy. ZimAsset focuses on food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, infrastructure and utilities and lastly value addition and beneficiation.

The challenge, as we look back over the past 12 months has been that of raising money to sustainably implement ZimAsset to restart and grow the economy.

Liquidity challenges are the order of  the day because the traditional financiers that are beholden to Europe and America — the International Monetary Fund and World Bank — cannot provide money in the context of Western sanctions.  Not much investment is coming in and the economy isn’t generating much.  With no money to oil business, the economy has stagnated.

However, we take heart in the fact that the government recognises the urgency of the matter. This is why it has clarified the indigenisation laws to reassure foreign investors, and is working hard to secure the much-needed financial injection from abroad. Reports say if the country receives  $10 billion we can begin to see a positive change in economy more markedly.

As we mark the first year since that overwhelming Zanu-PF victory, we have to recognise the challenges the party faces in its efforts to give its people the economy they want.  We have confidence in this government and its people. That optimism is, however, qualified as the illegal sanctions have not been lifted.  The EU is beginning to engage, but the US is tightening them.