via You there?, Makoni asks silent Mugabe 05/02/2014 NewZimbabwe
OPPOSITION Mavambo leader Simba Makoni has called on President Robert Mugabe to “come out of his closet” and provide direction on the crisis gripping the country.
In his overview of the state of the country’s economic and socio-political situation Wednesday Makoni said the current furore over executive salaries needed to be addressed from the highest office in the land.
“Mugabe cannot accept to be the country’s first citizen and not carry the responsibility that comes with that office. The buck stops with him,” said Makoni.
The opposition politician is a former Zanu PF politburo member said he believed Mugabe was aware of what was going on regarding the obscene salaries.
“If a board appointed by a minister who, in turn, reports to the President and Parliament did not do their work then we have every right to say that Mugabe is equally culpable. He was in the loop and probably turned a blind eye,” Makoni said.
“The country needs direction and that has not been provided but we will give Mugabe the benefit of doubt only if he can come out and tell the nation his position on the matter.
“Zimbabweans do not know what is happening given the negative interventions at Harare City Council by Local government minister Ignatius Chombo. Only the chief executive officer of Zimbabwe Incorporated can stop the rot,” said Makoni.
The fact that Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa presented a budget that was varied by a rise in civil servant wages in less than a week shows a dysfunctional government or one at war with itself, Makoni added.
“Unless Chinamasa is cheating Zimbabweans because it is difficult to understand why the minister, in his budget, did not foresee the salary variation or increase as well as the shrinkage in revenue collections by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA),” the opposition leader said.
Following the announcement of the national budget ZIMRA chairperson Stanford Moyo announced that the tax collector had failed to meet its targets by 18 percent. Makoni said this poked holes into Chinamsa’s budget.
“Chinamasa could have had the carpet pulled from under his feet and this could be an indication of a government at war with itself or, better still, in a state of disarray,” said Makoni.
“My reading is that members of this government are not moving in unison. If Chinamasa knew that the budget was going to be overshot then what was the rationale, unless he is cheating Zimbabweans.”
COMMENTS
Simba Makoni is the only one able to steer through troubled waters, definitely, throughout Africa. If Makoni can exist with Ian Khama, what a powerhouse can redistribute throughout Africa.
It’s taking him so long to react because he is a man who cannot differentiate between right or wrong. He created a government with no ethical or moral standards to be followed . The answer is we need a new leader with new ideas a servant for his people not a president dressed in a wolf’s skin.
How ironic it would be if the corruption that has helped prop up this regime eventually engulfed the principal players through factionalism. Good of Makoni to stoke this fire. We need even more revealations and more pressure.
Yes Simba we need honest men and women in our politics if Zimbabwe is to move forward
He s not silent.he is busy fighting for his mansion in hong kong.preparing for a bthday , wedding n eu summit.these things are more crucial than zm s economy
I have always believed Makoni would be the next President of the country even before he dumped ZPF, I believe he has the pedigree. He had the vision to advise Zimbabwe to adopt the US$ when he was finance minister and he had a major fall out then with his party then. Imagine if the US$ had been adopted back then when most businesses were still functional. He has embraced the opposition and has worked a lot with Zanu. Presently he represents the uniting force that we so wish for. I am sure I aint alone.
Mugabe doesn’t care. Expecting him to say something about this crisis… NEVER! You keep you salaries and I keep my party. That’s his MO. He just doesn’t care about the people. He will never answer to anyone. He’s always been the coward in that way. The sly opportunist. He’ll only come out to day something when you’ve all exhausted your anger and you found a solution. Then he’ll come and claim victory… And shout at the West for imposing these salaries on us and teaching our people corruption.
More realistically, Bob is just too sick to pitch. We’ve spoken about a proverbial leadership vacuum in the country… This time it’s literal. There is no president in Zimbabwe… Is there?
Simba, we may well ask – where are YOU in the arena of effective opposition. You have the experience, the credibility and enough support to take on ZPF but yet you remain largely silent. That is the problem in Zimbabwe, the opposition is weak and lacks strong effective leadership to bring about proper change in Zimbabwe. ZPF and Mugabe know this and continue to exploit these weaknesses to the detriment of Zimbabwe.
the opposition knows all too well that the only way to take over is the violent way,,,organise take to the streets ,,demonstration after demonstration some of us will die ,,yes,,,thats what revolutions are about,,,writing our thoughts wont get our freedom and rights back,,every zimbabwean knows what they have to do to change what we have
Yes indeed this government has no option except to be at war with itself. Do you realistically think that if the election was truly rigged it’s possible to have a united govt. That’s unrealistic and impossible. There are obviously people within fighting their own turf wars. The government is a govt of the oligarchy, worse than Ian Smith’s govt in that it lies, never delivers, always blames others and is a cry baby and an immanent child. The events since the New LANDSLIDE govt was formed is littered with all sorts of anti-social conduct. there is nothing good it has done. It is either a stupid government or a government of looters. I say stupid because we obviously need FDI, but the Chinamasser language seems to point to the agenda of chasing foreign and local investment and ant stupid person knows what needs to be done to revive the economy in 5 months. Secondly the govt might be so corrupt that they are not willing to show any transparency but to survive by creating more confusion in the country.We shall see more disasters in the next few days if Mr President does not do something dramatic!!
We hear you Simba. If he is going to say anything let him start with explaining the 5meter for the HK hideout. If you think it this way, don’t be surprised no answer will be coming anytime soon to your “request”. He will have to dislodge the log in eye first before removing speck in the eyes of others. How shameful!!!
Does he care anywhere, as if you are his relatives. If it was MALAWI he could be concerned. You hired him to run your country, and since you can not get some one to relieve him he is also tired. He has gone beyond his retirement but you still want him to work. Can you look for another expatriate please and replace him, since there is not even a single Zimbabwean to run this country. Munyika makangozara vatemi vehuni nevacheri vemvura chete. You will never recover from this lost time.
Only those few in zanu-pf who have completely nothing in their top most organ (i.e. mental-cases)can buy the hogwash and careless mantra from the Didymus type of characters that ‘Mugabe didn’t about the naked looting of state and other public entities’.
It open secrete that all the looters have been doing it with his full backing and blessing; and most of us know for sure that they will continue to do so for as long as the dear leader is in office.
It is clearly the dear leader’s open ideology that ‘myself and his clique own the country & everything in it – including myself, yourself and all other resources’. In line with this principle such kind of behavior exhibited by the Muchecheteres, the Cashberts, and the Mahachis of ‘the Gushungolite clique’ is simply an exercise of their divine right which the unlike majority have to accept. It is only a crime if done by those of us who are part of this privileged clique.
Those who think I am joking about this ordained clique need to recall some years back when Prof Nherera who had to spent a portion of his life serving time in some prison after trying to smuggle his way into this elite club, while the key architects (who happen to be the untouchable Chombos & Matongas) where not only protect but promoted (by non other than Gushungo himself) to more lucrative positions were they could intensify their looting spree ad infinitum.
Zimbabweans are cowards! The majority of them all allude to the fact that Zanu PF does not represent the wishes of the vast majority of Zimbabweans’ wishes and they do nothing about it! They are all fully aware of the fact that Zanu PF cannot be unseated via constitutional means and they do nothing about it!
Freedom, poor Zimbabweans, does not come on a silver plate, Painful and even deadly sacrifices must be undertaken. You are blaming everybody else for your suffering but your selves! SADC, AU,UN and everybody else that you are pointing fingers at have no right to come into Zimbabwe and install your preferred Government. The power is in your hands to do so and you know it but you are so scared of Zanu PF to the extent that you will not even lift a finger to eventually achieve that goal!
Running away from your country and seeking asylum status all over Africa will not bring you Freedom! Speaking in hushed voices in all the wrong places will not bring you anything! Advising, analysing,(no matter how accurate the analysis)and even criticizing Mugabe will only bring sorrow unto you and yours! So please spare us the mewing and pewing and do something or forever be at peace with your situation!
we have no opposition that are capable of taking that stance and that is the only remedy we have,,,the tsvangirayis have been fattened by their stay in government over the last five years he even sweats when he needs to sit,,,he now wants to negotiate with the same zanu,,,we need a leader right now that can lead a revolt we dont need academics or fools
Stobbs, what an idea, but at least tswangirai is trying something how about you do it as Well? I gather you are so scared to even use your real name when commenting here because you are so scared.
Dr Simba Makoni is the only man left who can take the State house and take care of Zimbabweans with love and direction. Even Morgan Tsvangirai know this, even Bob Mugabe know that in Zanu pf no one can match Dr Makoni. Simba Makoni have got direction of modern economics and politics. Mugabe should put Makoni on board
simba better watch out or we will be having yet another car crash
the CIO is still gathering info to report to zim . only then can he act. munhu mukuru haangopanicke to any info yabuda, he has to study the situation, decide on the action to take and forecast ripple effects of each action on the table. saka relax.
Dr Simba Makoni is the Zimbabwean future.
Nothing better can come from simba.He hhas even shown he is a weakling by trying a coalition with mdc coz he hasn’t followers.
If the elections were rigged and they were ,why is the opposition not fighting tooth and nail to rescind this sham. SIMBA means well but there is a question mark still in my mind. We need a complete new crop of leaders not tainted at all . And I think that even will be hard to do. PAMBERI NE ZIMBABWE.
Nyoni how do you fight a brutal system. In Ivory Coast the lucky thing is the other guy had also guns now Tsvangirayi has a bunch of cowards to look to who ulilate whenever a zanupf cadre supports corruption saying its taking over our riches they clap hands and ululate zvonzi ‘chikwengu’ Hey we are really down and really out I don’t see anybody standing out after this Tsvangirayi guy watinongotuka daily as if he was alone in the battle. We let him down because of bandanas, tshirts and caps, hanzi Tsvangirayi haana kutipa ma T-shirts, saka we could not vote for him. Zimbabwe mentality.
Simba is willing to work for national interests with anyone from anywere
Viva Simba Makoni and his hands are clean. Level headed and very experienced. He wil make a great President. We must free our country from ZANU PF war lords and psedo militarists! True freedom starts with the tongue!
Peter Tosh you are right some of us can not come in the open but spend time criticising Tsvangirayi, at least he ran his mile now let us run the extra mile. But as long as this corruption maintains zanupf grip on power it will not go. The power in zanupf is entrenched in corruption, mark Mai Mujuru’s own words so expecting any action is craze.
Simba honamanje.
Dr Simba Makoni can make a good leader of Zimbabwe. He talks sense and one would see that if given a chance he can be a good president. Look now Zimbabwe is a failed state- the country cannot provide basic needs of the nation. MKD forward ZANU PF is now outdated MDC is made up of mercenaries who can loot like ZANU PF