Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean government has come under scrutiny after shockingly directing local authorities to purchase copies of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s biography, A Life of Sacrifice, at a time when municipalities are struggling to provide basic services.
In a letter dated March 31, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, John Basera, urged town clerks and chief executive officers to procure the book for distribution within their jurisdictions.
The correspondence indicates that each copy costs US$17, with a discounted price of US$15 for bulk orders of 100 or more.
“In view of the foregoing, the publisher is appealing for the purchase of the book by various individuals and institutions and the same to be distributed to schools. The biography provides a close insight into the life and journey of one of Zimbabwe’s illustrious sons.
“In this regard, you are implored to make the necessary arrangements to procure this invaluable book for the benefit of your communities,” Basera stated.
The directive comes amid mounting concerns over deteriorating service delivery across urban centres, particularly in Harare, where residents have endured prolonged water shortages, uncollected refuse and frequent sewer bursts.
The book, A Life of Sacrifice, authored by Eddie Cross and first published in 2021, chronicles the life of Emmerson Mnangagwa, tracing his journey from childhood through the liberation struggle to his rise to power in 2017.
Critics say the government’s focus on promoting the publication reflects misplaced priorities in the face of worsening living conditions.
“This is a glaring example of misplaced priorities,” said a local governance analyst Nixon Nyikadzino.
“Instead of addressing the urgent crises affecting ordinary Zimbabweans, like water shortages, overflowing garbage, and failing sanitation, the government is pushing a vanity project.
“Distributing a biography cannot substitute for ensuring that communities have basic services. Citizens are entitled to clean water and safe streets, not just reading material about the President.”
Recent statements by the Combined Harare Residents Association highlighted what it described as “systemic human rights violations” linked to the collapse of municipal services.
Residents in several suburbs continue to rely on unsafe water sources due to dry taps, while erratic refuse collection and pollution have heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.
Advocacy groups argue that these conditions amount to a failure by both central government and local authorities to uphold constitutional obligations on access to basic amenities.
The ZimRights has also warned that millions of Zimbabweans are being denied essential services, including clean water and reliable energy, describing the situation as a violation of the right to a decent standard of living.
Local authorities, already facing financial constraints, have in the past attributed their inability to deliver services to limited funding and central government interference, including delays in accessing foreign currency for critical imports such as water treatment chemicals.
While the ministry’s letter frames the purchase of the biography as beneficial to communities, the move has intensified debate over government priorities, with observers questioning the timing of the directive amid a deepening service delivery crisis.
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