Zanu-pf has so ruined Zimbabwe’s economy that it cannot pay teachers or nurses, or provide food to the almost four-tenths of people in the countryside who are at risk of starving.“There is a huge perception that because of the proximity of the Zimbabwean government to China, much of our critical infrastructure is run by China,” says Otto Saki, a human-rights lawyer.Such claims are “a clear example that the government has the necessary tools and the capacity to monitor people,” says Nompilo Simanje of the Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe, an NGO in Harare, the capital.The electoral commission, which is run by a retired army general, has been accused of giving voters’ data to Zanu-PF, which then urged them through text messages to vote for Mr Mnangagwa.But, says Mr Chari, “this is where we are heading.” ■This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline "Big brother will see you now"Middle East & Africa December 17th 2022- The party of Nelson Mandela is imploding- Commercial cattle-raiding is impoverishing Uganda’s herders- China is helping Zimbabwe to build a surveillance state- Iraq’s new prime minister vows to clean up the country- Morocco’s World Cup success sparks a debate about Arab identityFrom the December 17th 2022 editionDiscover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Explore the editionMore from Middle East & AfricaCommercial cattle-raiding is impoverishing Uganda’s herdersWithout cows, they have no safety net when the rains failMorocco’s World Cup success sparks a debate about Arab identityA country that was the butt of jokes a month ago is now a regional hero"