By Obert Masaraure
15 December 2025
The year 2025 has been defined by the noise of the elite. Everywhere you turn, there is a loud, relentless chorus pushing the “2030 Agenda.” We have been subjected to endless propaganda and twisted arms, all designed to force us to nod along with a plan that wasn’t made for us. But beneath that noise, in the quiet of our homes and the privacy of our prayers, the people are whispering a different dream.
We are praying for a better Zimbabwe. And that prayer isn’t just a wish; it is a solid, collective vision that stands tall against Mnangagwa’s illegal grasp for power.
Let’s call this collective heartbeat the Better Zimbabwe Agenda (BZA). It is time we put this people-driven vision side-by-side with the elite’s 2030 plan. When you look closely, the BZA isn’t just different—it is fundamentally superior. Why? Because it doesn’t just offer a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling house; it fixes the foundation. It offers liberation, not just repackaged exploitation.
Here is the reality of the two agendas:
1. *Justice vs. Exploitation*
The BZA is honest about where we are. It admits that our problems are born from a deep conflict: a tiny, powerful clique (military, political, and connected business elites) is looting the country while workers and families suffer. The BZA confronts this head-on. It’s about dismantling the systems that allow opaque deals and land grabs, shifting power back to the people who actually do the work.
Mnangagwa’s 2030 Agenda, on the other hand, pretends this exploitation doesn’t exist. It is a blueprint for continued looting disguised as “development.” It ensures the rich get richer while manufacturing poverty for everyone else.
2. *Democracy vs. Dictatorship*
The BZA is about putting power back in your hands. It demands real constitutionalism, strict term limits, and independent institutions. But more than that, it champions participatory democracy—meaning you have a say in your workplace, your community, and your local council. Accountability must flow upwards from the people.
The 2030 Agenda is the opposite. It is a top-down order from a captured state. Decisions are made in dark rooms by the elite, while the police and courts are used to silence anyone who disagrees. Under this plan, democracy is nothing more than a hollow ritual.
3. *For Everyone vs. For the Few*
The BZA is designed by the majority, for the majority. It is for the teacher, the vendor, the farmer, the student, and the unemployed graduate. Success, under the BZA, is measured by whether their lives are improving.
The 2030 Agenda serves a tiny club: the Mnangagwa faction, military elites, and tenderpreneurs. Their version of development creates contracts that fill their pockets, while the masses are left fighting for crumbs.
4. *Sustainable Growth vs. Smash-and-Grab*
We need a future that lasts. The BZA focuses on long-term growth: processing our own minerals, reviving our factories, and investing in renewable energy. It’s about using our wealth to build schools and hospitals for the next generation, breaking the cycle of boom-and-bust.
The 2030 Agenda is a smash-and-grab operation. It relies on digging up gold and lithium as fast as possible to pay off debts and fund elite lifestyles. It destroys the environment and leaves us with nothing but holes in the ground and more debt.
5. Sovereignty vs. Dependency
The BZA asserts that Zimbabwe belongs to Zimbabweans. It seeks self-sufficiency in food and energy and isn’t afraid to renegotiate unfair foreign deals. It stops the illicit flow of money out of the country and uses our resources to build our nation.
The 2030 Agenda deepens our dependency. It relies on predatory loans and selling off raw materials, keeping us in a state of underdevelopment. The elite act as middlemen, selling our heritage to foreign interests while blaming “sanctions” for the mess they created.
6. *Truth vs. Deception*
The BZA is transparent. Its goal is clear: end the looting and build a society based on justice and equality. Its legitimacy comes from the fact that it aligns with what the people actually need.
The 2030 Agenda is a lie wrapped in fancy language. It hijacks terms like “development” to hide its true purpose: keeping one group in power forever. It uses patriotic slogans while selling off national assets. It is a Public Relations (PR) stunt for predators.
*The Bottom Line: Who Owns the Future?*
Under Mnangagwa’s 2030 plan, the elite own the resources, control the state, and reap the rewards. You are viewed merely as cheap labor or a subject to be controlled.
Under the People’s BZA, we collectively own our resources and control our destiny. The economy is built to benefit the millions who work hard every day to keep this country running.
The Better Zimbabwe Agenda addresses the disease—elite capture—not just the symptoms. It is the only path to stability and dignity. The people’s agenda isn’t a request for permission; it is a blueprint for freedom. We are not begging the elite for change; we are preparing to take back our future.
The 2030 Agenda is the dying gasp of a corrupt system. The Better Zimbabwe Agenda is our birthright.
As we wind down the year let’s prepare to activate our collective aspiration of a Better Zimbabwe and actively block the ruinous elite driven 2030 Agenda.
Obert Masaraure is the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union OF Zimbabwe and writes in his own capacity.
