The NINE biggest fears a young Zimbabwean has in 2020

Zimbabweans had a pretty crappy 2019 and noone can really argue about that.

Inflation went pre-2008 and not quite 2008. Doctors worked for like two minutes the whole year. There was an Internet shutdown and more.

So usually, a change in year gives people a sense of hope. Not quite so for Zimbabweans really.

And here are five things young Zimbabweans in particular will be scared of in 2020.

The economy stays weird: So there is talk from the government that the economy will grow 3% in 2020. Now, nobody has explained to the people what that means in real terms. And also people’s relationship with what the government says as opposed to what they believe it does is a bit pear-shaped. After all, 2020 was supposed to be about growth but the government blamed everything but its own policies on the decline. Yes, there was a drought, but what do we know.
Noone will actually go to jail for corruption: Since the new government which is a bit old now came into power, it has said that it will clamp down on corruption. Well, it is almost three years since November 2017 and well, we’re waiting…
Violent crime will go up: 2018 saw a surge in high crime fueled by crazy levels of poverty. This is not to mention the machete-wielding gangs which went and killed a whole lot of people. This is real and while the police activity is coming across as more visible, you wonder when machete gangs will graduate to guns.
Oh gosh, we will starve: With the UN saying a bag of people will be food insecure in 2020 and add to that another drought being predicted, we wonder where the food will come from. Given the government has pretty much told us we can do our shopping in SA or Botswana, the fear that if you can’t access forex, you will starve is a reality.
Less access to health and other services: Doctors have already started saying that they are incapacitated, a status that has been going on for two or three years. Add teachers to the mix. The worry is now, are we a country that is able to provide services of this nature to its citizens?
My dream is gonna die if I don’t leave: This one is big. Many young Zimbabweans have started seeing their futures elsewhere and have moved. Those who stayed behind will invariably start doing the same. This includes people who have been highly trained and skilled in Zimbabwe but do not see a space for themselves here. They will just go and make other countries better.
Am I good enough?: Seeing other people their age thrive in other countries will invariably knock the confidence of someone. So then come the questions about whether they are meant to compete or can compete. We have seen some vibrant platforms become increasingly discouraged from carrying on. A lot of it is, what is the point?
How will I take care of my parents, never mind myself?: As parents get old and lose their jobs or retire, the younger ones have to step in. The pension system offers them a pittance and after the whole devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar, it has become a farce. And already struggling to put two buns and a cup of tea together for dinner, the fear is that it will just get worse.
Will I ever be happy?: We don’t know…