Invisible Datasets and At-Risk Youth

At dawn each morning, the striking purple-crested turaco—formerly known as the red-winged loerie—is one of the first birds to announce the new day with its loud, melodious call. This unforgettable sound echoes through the stillness, urging all to awaken and embrace the onset of spring.

True to its previous name, the loerie boasts brilliant red primary feathers that reveal its presence as it flits between branches, moving from one fruit tree to another, or joyfully splashing in the bird bath. Spring has indeed arrived in Zimbabwe.

Read: Silent resignation has taken hold across Zimbabwe

In the highveld, the Msasa trees are gearing up to display their magnificent spring hues, shedding their pods as soon as the sun graces them with warmth.

This year, they carry a heavy burden, and the air is filled with the sounds of pods cracking, popping, and dispersing their flat, round, shiny seeds in all directions. Each gust of wind sends leaves swirling down, landing softly with a whisper on the parched, hard ground below.

As always, spring ushers in beauty and hope.

Yet in that stark moment, when the last leaves vanish before the new ones emerge, the harsh realities of politics and propaganda seep in, diverting attention from the everyday tragedies faced by the people of Zimbabwe.

Read: The tragedy of the Kariba ferry

As Zimbabwe grapples with the sorrow of 97 lives lost in the Kariba Ferry disaster and the recent deaths of 27 church members in the Chivhu bus crash, an astonishing announcement from the World Bank caught our attention.

Incredible …

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, proclaimed that the World Bank has officially removed Zimbabwe from its list of Fragile and Conflict-Affected Economies.

Ncube stated that Zimbabwe’s GDP grew by 8.3% in 2025 and that inflation for the ZiG has decreased by 2.9%, citing the World Bank’s decision to delist Zimbabwe as “a direct validation of the country’s ongoing economic turnaround, governance, and institutional reforms.”

Read: World Bank cautions Zimbabwe against hastily making ZiG the sole currency [Sep 2026]

This declaration sparked immediate outrage. Former finance minister Tendai Biti criticized Ncube’s “phantom data” for failing to represent the widespread poverty, unemployment, political division, and declining public services.

Biti characterized Zimbabwe’s maternal and infant mortality rates as “medieval” and accused the government of prioritizing superficial appearances over the dire conditions confronting its citizens.

“The stark truth is that this is a poor, fragile state,” he asserted.

Lawyer and politician Fadzayi Mahere expressed on social media: “Mthuli will employ any necessary creative mathematics to support his narrative. The majority of Zimbabweans have been left behind in Mthuli’s ‘economic growth’ fairytale.”

Economic recovery?

Amidst the government’s spin, another story resurfaced, casting doubt on the claimed economic recovery.

It was once again about the ‘BEAM’ – Basic Education Assistance Module – which is the government’s social welfare initiative aimed at helping vulnerable and orphaned children who cannot afford school.

The government currently owes schools over US$292 million (approximately R4.6 billion) for unpaid school and examination fees for five million children across the nation.

While these fees remain outstanding, children are left vulnerable, uncertain whether they will be sent home due to non-payment. Even though the government asserts that this practice is prohibited, it persists—how can schools survive without receiving fees from their students?

Is this the so-called ‘economic recovery’ when the government is unable to pay school fees for its most at-risk children?

Fragile, vulnerable

While government officials congratulate themselves on what they claim is ‘economic recovery,’ it means little to the countless individuals whose homes have recently been demolished by municipal bulldozers in St Martins, Harare, or to the thousands who fear they might be next.

It holds no significance for street vendors who have been ordered to vacate their designated areas or face removal in a nationwide ‘clean-up operation’ scheduled for next week.

Read: Things have altered for Zimbabweans in SA …

It is of no consequence to the 115,000 Zimbabweans who were expelled from South Africa last month, returning with nothing and facing further uncertainty—they will inevitably become victims of this ‘cleansing.’

It all feels eerily reminiscent of Operation Murambatsvina in 2005. My book ‘Millions, Billions, Trillions‘ contains personal accounts of that nightmare.

Zimbabwe has failed to learn from its history, repeating its mistakes over and over.

Thank you for continuing to engage with my columns from Zimbabwe. Though they may be difficult to read, the reality is much harder to endure.

© Cathy Buckle