….Calls some of his ideas ” Wet Dreams”
“Bullet Trains While Hospitals Rot?”
…Chin’ono Slams Chamisa’s Grand Illusion
By Harry Taruva for Kwedu News
Harare, Zimbabwe – Acclaimed journalist and filmmaker, Hopewell Chin’ono, has made a scathing critique of recent political talk about building a bullet train in Zimbabwe, calling the idea a “wet dream” that mocks the live reality of a nation in crisis.
In a hard-hitting statement that has gone viral, Chin’ono accused political fanatics of defending delusional ambitions while Zimbabwe crumbles under the weight of broken infrastructure, collapsed healthcare, and widespread poverty.
“The sad thing about the fanatics is that they do not realise how the world laughs at us when they hear our leaders say these things,” Chin’ono said.
“Even South Africa, three times larger than Zimbabwe, doesn’t have a bullet train.”
Chin’ono says building a bullet train line from Harare to Bulawayo would cost US$74 billion, a staggering figure for a country struggling to pave its roads.
Zimbabwe’s entire road network spans over 97,000 kilometers, yet only 18,000 kilometers are tarred.
“Is that the immediate need for Zimbabwe?” he asked. “Hospitals have collapsed. Schools have no books. People are walking on sewage and drinking dirty water. You cannot dream about bullet trains when your citizens are dying from preventable diseases.”
Chin’ono warned that such proposals reflect a dangerous disconnect from Zimbabwe’s most urgent needs, accusing leaders of using flashy visions to distract from their failure to deliver basic services.
“This gives the impression of someone with presidential ambitions but without an understanding of what the country truly needs,” he said.
His critique wasn’t just about infrastructure, but more of a cultural reckoning, some political analysts say.
Chin’ono pointed to decades of media manipulation and political hero worship as the roots of a society that rejects criticism and embraces illusion.
“We grew up in a country with one TV station, where journalists bootlicked politicians even as they said useless things,” he said.
“We don’t understand the essence of real journalism, we want journalists to write for politicians, not about them.”
Globally, only 15 countries operate high-speed rail systems, and even the United Kingdom has yet to finish one.
“Nobody over thirty will ever see a bullet train in Zimbabwe, not because of cost, but because we’ve ignored the hierarchy of needs.
“You fix hospitals, schools, roads, and water first.
“It does not make sense to prioritise bullet trains when we can’t even keep the lights on.
“Until we fight corruption and fix the basics, every grand project is just smoke and mirrors,” Chin’ono said.
