via Mugabe to use SADC chairmanship to promote indigenisation | SW Radio Africa. 10 June 2014 By Mthulisi Mathuthu
President Robert Mugabe will use Zimbabwe’s impending Sadc chairmanship to promote his controversial policies, among them the indigenisation and ‘land reform’ programmes, his party ZANU PF has said.
Mugabe, who is also the African Union’s First Deputy Chair, assumes the Sadc Chair from Malawi at the regional body’s summit scheduled for August in Victoria Falls.
ZANU PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo told the state media that Mugabe will ‘obviously try and promote the party’s model of development through indigenisation, empowerment and agriculture reform’ in the region.
Gumbo said those issues, including beneficiation, local ownership of resources and the unity among the Southern African nations, were ‘close to Mugabe’s heart’.
These revelations come at a time when land expropriation and indigenisation are seen as being at the center of Zimbabwe’s economic decline and the country’s failure to attract investment. Since 2000, when the land grab was launched, Zimbabwe’s economy has been in intensive care and the dovetailing indigenisation policy has made the situation even worse.
The indigenisation laws, which require foreign investors to cede 51 percent of their businesses to locals, have caused concern at an international level. The extent of global concern over the policy was revealed two months ago when former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki visited Mugabe to discuss the issue. Reports said Mbeki had been sent by concerned South African businessmen who want the law toned down.
Professor Tony Hawkins said whether Mugabe will succeed in selling his policies or not will depend on individual countries. He said: ‘Different governments and different administrations have different approaches to these issues. I think some governments may want to follow the policies of land reform and indigenisation but whether they will follow the same model as Zimbabwe will boil down to individual countries.’
He added: ‘Other countries may choose to follow their own national statutes and internal situations could determine the methods.’
This will not be the first attempt by ZANU PF to sell its developmental model abroad. At the height of the land grab ZANU PF was involved in an international campaign to sell its controversial land acquisition policy, with a view to sparking similar seizures across Africa.
Working with ZANU PF was the South African Pan-Africanist Congress and a research group called Africa Strategy, as well as shadowy ZANU PF linked lobby groups like Inyika Trust and Davira Mhere. Within South Africa, the Zimbabwean government tried to use other fringe groups such as the Manenzhe Community under chief Takalan in the Limpopo province, as well as the Landless People’s Movement.
In 2002 the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that Zimbabwean authorities were ‘encouraging the landless lobby in South Africa to undertake an agenda that while embarrassing Mbeki, provides Mugabe with a regional political support network.’
Comments in the state media reports about Mugabe spreading his empowerment ideas, gave a clear indication of what Zimbabweans, who have to live with his policies, think. One said: “Sadc can never copy Zimbabwe’s empowerment policies. The results are too negative to ignore. Hospitals with no medicines, 80% joblessness, food insecurity (we actually rely on Western donors). Zimbabwean women begging at street corners in Jozi. Our economic model represent a model on HOW NOT TO RUN A COUNTRY.”
COMMENTS
they are close to his heart because he has a bad heart
Political suicide. SADC gave this mad man a whistle, hope he carries it out to them. Bunch of idiots, all of them.
@ Roving Ambassador
If Mugabe did not get the SADC chair because it was Zimbabwe’s turn then you can be sure of one thing, Mugabe cried for it which is what he did for the OAU chair! Zimbabwe has no clean drinking water in all its major cities, hospitals are closing down, etc. but would not have stop the tyrant spending millions of dollars lobbying and bribing ever cat and dog in every SADC country is they had a vote! Indeed he would be thinking of how to bribe them again so he can get another term!
Kana pazvika panyaya yechigaro Mugabe haazivi zvokunzi mugoti unopiwa anyerere; anochemera kana kuba!
ZANU head is swollen again
You know if I came from another continent or was ignorant of the continent I come from, I would dismiss this clowning with a hearty laughter and move on like I always do after an entertaining show. Unfortunately, the Africa I come from is the Africa that is led by the same leaders who chose my dear leader to be the next chairman of SADC and the “first chair” of AU. Never mind that my dear leader is 90 years old, he has run the country down and by the way he is a dictator. So my friends I will not laugh this off, because my dear leader is held in high esteem among by his bed fellows of comparable incompetence and corruption. My dear leader’s hold on power since 2000 can also be attributed to his sale of the indeginisation policies to his people. Many bought into it and many still foolishly think that it will work despite the evidence on the ground and my dear leader has benefited mightily, he is to die in office. So, my friends he knows who he is going to talk to, the ones who are eager to stay in power as he has and power is all that matters to them. I therefore cannot dismiss this craziness because my dear leader’s audience is, to put it lightly, crazy enough to destroy their economies as long as they can stay in power. Don’t put it past them.
SADC are as bent as Bob.
Don’t underestimate the intelligence of SADC leaders. You’ll hear the Namibian president and his ministers talking a lot of sense though in broken English and their country punching well above their weight developmentally. Then you’ll hear the professorial English of Mugabe talking things that make you wanna puke, leading a dilapidated country.
Thats your problem right there u have been brainwashed by Mugabe to think that being fluent in English is the most important thing & so u worship him & laugh at the other leaders who are not as fluent as him but who are actually developing their countries. Being able to speak English which isnt out native language does not mk us any better, I wish all Zimbabweans cld wake up & open their eyes to that fact.
If I was one of those leaders would tell this Mugabe what a murdering thieving scumbag he is and he is not fit to hold the chair
This is a good example of the Southern African Dictators Club that they are not putting ordinary people first but a scumbag like this evil thing who goes flying to Rome making out like is a good person.
Imbisa you should be speaking to these club before this meeting please get off your seats and do something before it is too late
He can shout day and night they wont listen
As long as the interest of our big brothers across our peripheries remains the same,of protecting the Liberation movements from demise.They will listen to him.Derrick Nzimande of the SACP in South Africa said the labour movements style of snatching power like Fredric Chiluba in Zambia must never be entertained again.Like-wise an MDC victory in Zimbabwe might set a bad precedence on the restive electorates and labour unions on their countries.Nevertheless, the cards are no longer with them on the long run but with the masses.
Amazed people even still take au sac seriously. Stop giving rubbish this media attention as if these circuses are v.I.p !!!!???
My God. Anyone take this seriously had to be very very stupid. Why does not anyone tell this old man to just shut up.
SADC and Mugabe – as irrelevant as each other. A 90 year old tyrant and SADC…shall we expect great things? Better not hold the breath on that!
A number of SADAC countries have already benefitted from his policies, they have welcomed his farmers and are reaping the benefits so to speak. I imagine they will welcome the business owners who will be forced to shut up shop with the latest fiasco. Just smile and wave boys just smile and wave.
Because ZANU’s model has been such a raving success they are trying to sell it to others! We might all die laughing, but hang on we are more likely to die of starvation first! Morons.
I was not expecting for there to be an organization called ‘Landless Blacks Movement’ in Zimbabwe. ‘We have taken our land’. If there are any blacks still qualifying to be in such a movement, where then should they expect to get the land? Invade another country?
After the succcessful land reform programme “the country is still trying to regain its status as the breadbasket of southern africa”
Zimbabwe has no model. What happened was desperate opportunism to retain power when the ruling party was facing its stiffest opposition. When the land was taken the fatcats gained multiple farms and members of the opposition were lynched. Land reform is a Model that is proved and tested. It did not start in Zimbabwe. There are many good land reform models from Asia and South America. For Zimbabwe it was a fiasco because it was not done with all honesty and order. I think SA needs land reform but they are advised never to follow the Zim Chaos. It will destro our whole region. Forward with orderly equitable land reform , but we abhor nihilism and murder.
Who the hell is going to feed the people if they all follow the ZANU wonder model???
By the time Mugabe finishes his term as SADC chair, SADC will be as broke as Zimbabwe. There will be no electricity and running water at SADC offices and no salaries for staff. The car park at the SADC office will have potholes-wait and see as he implements his policies.
So he is going to take all that stuff that has destroyed Zimbabwe into SADC. All the prejudice, all the hate; all the destruction. I am simply amazed by Sadc. What example can Zimbabwe offer except total desolation of a once vibrant economy. Is this to be his swan song? May God have mercy!
As far as I know, SADC Chairpersonship is held on a rotational basis. SADC had little choice.
Having tried unsuccessfully 2 or 3 times, in the last 5 years to listen to Mugabe’s ramblings and ‘walkabouts’ for more than 5 minutes, I wish them all the best.
Given that Mugabe has stolen every election since 2002 – then every policy enacted can be seen as illegitimate.
TZ president Jacob Ngarivhume has been arrested by state security agents and is currently detained at Chimanimani police station
It”s good to do so but are the policies a success.
Many of the SADC countries may support Mugabe verbally but on the ground they govern very differently. As another contributor has said the surrounding countries have benefited by welcoming our farmers & business people to say nothing of all the skilled people who have boosted their economies. They have benefited by receiving aid that Zimbabwe would otherwise have benefited from. I cannot believe that the likes of Mozambique & Zambia will buy into this idiocy given their more recent economic progress. Zimbabwe’s demise has been hugely beneficial to other SADC countries in numerous other ways.