Mutsvangwa’s half-truths and the need for fact-checking

The needy and greedy for attention Christopher Mutsvangwa held a press conference recently where regaled journalists for more than 80 minutes about the good Zanu PF had supposedly done for the nation.

Oscillating between narcissism and sycophancy, Mutsvangwa, the Zanu PF spokesperson, was at his arrogant best, posturing as the know-it-all that he always has been.

On his left, Fungai Marapira, the head of Zanu PF’s information department, did not get as much as word in, instead, he was doing his best impression of a bobblehead.

Mutsvangwa was in his element with half-truths and mistruths, but the tragedy of it all is that no journalist held him to account or even fact checked some of the things he said.

For starters, Mutsvangwa made what has become our favourite national patriotic lie that Zimbabwe is the most educated nation in Africa.

This lie has often been repeated so much that we now believe it and own it as if it were true.

There are many metrics to measure the “most educated” nation in Africa, some of them controversial, but Zimbabwe is not top of any.

On the other hand, Zimbabwe ranks highly on literacy levels, which is something totally different from being educated.

But, Mutsvangwa was not challenged on that assertion, instead he was given free reign. Unless, of course, those in attendance also have bought into the patriotic lie.

Mutsvangwa went on to tell how the economy is booming in the country and how President Emmerson Mnangagwa is supposedly steering a modern economy.

Never mind that Zimbabwe is presently experiencing its worst brain drain in a generation as people flee the stagnation that this country has become.

Unemployment and joblessness have become the hallmark of Zimbabwe, as there does not seem to be a plan to improve the economy, with only those close to Zanu PF enjoying being at the feeding trough.

While Mutsvangwa can throw around development statistics such as gross development product (GDP), we should remember that in the past 12 years alone Zimbabwe has revised its economic indicators no less than four times.

I am reminded of Alex Gladstein’s article “Why Dictators Love Development Statistics”, it is because these are easily faked.

The Zanu PF spokesperson then went into one of our favourite national pastimes – Zimbabwean exceptionalism.

Source: The Standard Zimbabwe