Decades of economic challenges have tarnished Zimbabwe’s international image to the point where its name now describes a squalid and overcrowded settlement in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
According to opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, a Zimbabwean businessman was shocked during a recent trip to the West African country when the tour guide led him to “Zimbabwe”.
The tour guide, unaware that the tourist was a Zimbabwean national, explained that the name “Zimbabwe” symbolised the disorder, chaos, and filth in the slum. Wrote Chamisa on X:
Image is everything. Recently, a businessman and Zimbabwean citizen shared with me a disturbing insight from their trip to Ivory Coast.
While en route to Boulevard Beach Resort in Abidjan, they passed through a fishing slum community. This area, dirty, chaotic, and disorganized, was in sharp contrast to the other developed parts of the city.
Shockingly, the tour guide revealed that this slum was named “Zimbabwe.” The touring citizen inquired about the origins and significance of the name.
Unbeknown to the tour guide that a Zimbabwean was part of the touring party, the tour guide explained that the name Zimbabwe symbolized the disorder, chaos and filth that pervades the area.
This revelation reflects the painful perception of our beloved country by others elsewhere, even from the African continent.
Chamisa said Zimbabweans shouldn’t be suffering given that the country has the largest lithium deposits in Africa and many other sought-after mineral resources.
He added that this perception by foreigners is a result of broken politics and rigged and disputed elections in Zimbabwe over the years.
Chamisa expressed hope that one day Zimbabwe will be transformed to become the pride of the continent with abundant prosperity.
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