CHICKENS FOR LOYALTY: ZANU PF’S POVERTY TRAP EXPOSED

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has once again reminded the nation that ZANU PF has no intention of changing its old ways. Today in Torwood, Kwekwe, he handed out 10,000 chicks and stockfeed to the Midlands Zanu PF Women’s League under what he calls the Presidential Poultry Scheme. At first glance, it may seem like a generous act, but the truth is far from kind. This is just another tactic used by the ruling party to keep Zimbabweans poor and dependent.

For decades, ZANU PF has kept the majority of citizens in survival mode, not by accident, but by design. A population that is hungry, jobless, and struggling is easier to control. When people rely on political handouts to survive, they become afraid to challenge the status quo. They can’t afford to lose even the little crumbs they receive from those in power. This is why the government gives out chickens instead of creating jobs. Why build an economy when you can build fear?

In any functional country, the role of government is to create a fair system that allows people to work, earn, and thrive. Citizens should not have to sing praises to political leaders in exchange for food or animals. Hard work should be enough. But in Zimbabwe, poverty is a political weapon. The ruling party controls who eats and who starves, based on loyalty. They punish dissent and reward submission.

The so-called Presidential Poultry Scheme may sound like a noble idea, but when examined closely, it becomes clear that it’s just another trap. Ten thousand chicks won’t fix the economy. They won’t stop the looting of public funds or reverse the collapse of industries. They won’t restore the Zimbabwe dollar’s value or create jobs for millions of unemployed youths. They’re a distraction—small gifts given to silence big demands.

Only a few will benefit from this scheme—those aligned with the ruling party. The rest of the nation remains sidelined. This is not development. It is a performance, staged to make the government appear caring while the deeper issues remain untouched. True development would mean investing in infrastructure, reviving industries, and supporting farmers and entrepreneurs equally—regardless of political affiliation.

ZANU PF is terrified of an independent citizen. A person who can feed themselves, educate their children, and run a business without begging is dangerous to a regime that survives on manipulation. So instead, the party gives out chickens and stockfeed while making speeches about empowerment. But behind the curtain, the real agenda is control, not upliftment.

Every election season, we see the same script. Handouts are distributed, slogans are shouted, and promises are made. But after the rally tents come down and the cameras leave, nothing changes. Poverty continues, and the leaders retreat to their mansions, far removed from the daily struggle of the people they claim to serve.

The Midlands Zanu PF Women’s League will now be told to be grateful and to work hard in the name of the President. This creates a false sense of progress, a loyalty bought not by vision or leadership, but by poultry. It is a shameful manipulation of need.

Zimbabwe has everything it needs to succeed—land, minerals, talent. But it lacks leaders who truly believe in building a nation. As long as poverty remains a political tool, our people will never be free. We must reject these crumbs and demand real solutions. We need a system where progress is for everyone, not just those who dance at rallies.

Until that day comes, ZANU PF will keep handing out chickens, and Zimbabwe will keep sinking under the weight of a poverty model that trades dignity for obedience.