‘Rhodesia worked despite sanctions’

via ‘Rhodesia worked despite sanctions’ 26/10/2014

THE government needs to come up with innovative measures to address the country’s economic problems instead of sitting back and blaming the crisis on sanctions imposed by the West, a labour law expert has said.

The United States and the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe which the government blames for the country’s decade-long economic crisis which saw about a million people leave to escape the hardships.

The crisis eased somewhat when the coalition government came into office in 2009 but President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party’s return to sole charge after last year’s election triumph has seen the economy backslide again.

Mugabe continues to blame the sanctions as his ZimAsset programme fails to fire the faltering economy and the opposition demands that he delivers on pre-election promises to create at least two million new jobs.

University of Zimbabwe labour law lecturer, Rodgers Matsikidze, said the government needs to be innovative in coming up with solutions for the country’s economic woes.

“We cannot continue talking about sanctions while we are folding hands. Something needs to be done now and by local people. Ian Smith ruled Rhodesia under sanctions but the economy did not collapse because he was innovative,” Matsikidze said in an interview last week.

According to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the government, through the Retrenchment Board, is approving over 400 retrenchment requests from companies shutting down every week.

The few remaining afloat are operating under 40% capacity with Bulawayo being the worst affected. Most of the companies are also struggling to pay workers who, in many cases, go for months without salaries.

Opposition parties have accused the Zanu PF government of ignoring the country’s worsening economic problems as it is consumed by the bitter dispute over Mugabe’s succession.

The veteran leader turned 90 this year and faction fights over his job have intensified in recent months as the ruling party heads for its elective congress in December.

MDC-T leader and former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has threatened to stage nationwide protests to force Mugabe and his government to deliver on their election promises.

Instead, the government should immediately establish a commission of inquiry to come up with solutions before the country’s industry effectively shuts down.

“What is needed is the urgent creation of a commission of inquiry which comprises captains of industry, labour-related unions, government officials and labour law experts and examine why companies are closing at this high rate, ” he said.

“Some of these problems might be technical. Remember, most companies have obsolete equipment which they are failing to replace or buy parts for which are not locally produced.

“But it is also possible that company owners are just giving themselves hefty salaries and neglecting the workers who are going for months without pay, in some cases ending up losing their jobs.”