via Zimbabweans’ dependency syndrome blasted – NewsDay Zimbabwe December 9, 2015
ECONOMIST Godfrey Kanyenze yesterday railed against Zimbabweans’ growing propensity for food handouts and called for increased productivity on farms and other sectors of the economy to break the poverty cycle.
by VENERANDA LANGA
Addressing parliamentarians at a post-budget seminar in Harare, Kanyenze said the foodstuff doled out by First Lady Grace Mugabe at her campaign rallies will not reduce the poverty levels.
“The 2016 National Budget speaks to the need of breaking bad habits and the culture of dependence, where government gives everyone seed and fertiliser and where we major on minors,” he said.
“Over 70% of our people are living in poverty and so the budget must be able to speak to women in Chipinge, Zvishavane, and so on, and we must bring investment and train our people to participate in business and economic activities rather than to wait until the First Lady brings cooking oil to them.
“That is the culture of dependence that we are talking about. The huge story for Africa from the Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit was that a few decades ago, China was one of the poorest countries, but they grew their economy through productivity. We must change our mindsets and become productive.”
Kanyenze also took a dig on the culture of profligacy being exhibited by some Cabinet ministers who acquired top-of-the-range vehicles as soon as they were appointed.
“The tragedy in our budget is that we need to restructure the 22,7% of gross domestic product, which is going towards employment costs and 92% of the budget, which is consumptive recurrent expenditure.
“Ministers and secretaries in ministries should not go to government to drive good cars. But now most of them are living like celebrities and yet there are many poor people in the country. We are majoring on minors and need to prioritise things. The first lesson to learn from this economy is that resources are limited,” he said.
Kanyenze lamented the country’s budgets, which have remained static at around $4 billion, saying Zimbabwe was “running and sweating and yet we are not moving”.
COMMENTS
Why not form another committee and go on a familiarisation tour of China and then hold a workshop I Vic Falls and then have another workshop at Rainbow Towers. Also give each committee member a Mercedes benz. This will solve the problem
It’s true Zimboz have an abnormally excessive dependency syndrome, which is very unhealthy for the country. And, clearly the syndrome is found at every echelon of our society, hence why people do not dare to raise a finger when all sorts of transgressions are committed by those in places of authority. Had we been living objective lives, anchored on self-dependency and hard work, devoid of excessive dependency, surely we would stand up against any transgressors regardless of their standing in our society.
Of course, the syndrome was deliberate implanted into the populace, and carefully nurtured, by the ever scheming Mugabe & his zanu pf as ploy for him to rule to the grave; and also create & sustain the Gushungo dynasty. That’s why Grace will takeover sooner than later. Now, by dishing out state resources and dubiously acquired food stuffs to all & sundries she will easily ingratiate herself with the gullible and heavily dependent masses and thugs who will do everything in there power to subvert majority will come next election.
Inside zanu pf, its now a foregone thing that Grace is taking over VP position, and all thanks to dependency syndrome. Not that I’m a fan of ED – far from it; but surely if zanu pf lunatics were voting/supporting individuals on some basis of objectivity I bet mad Dis-Grace would not get a single vote even when contesting a donkey, as one J Moyo would put it.
Poor fellow is lost