via Politburo panics over economy | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda on Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Ten months after ZANU PF government claimed a ‘resounding electoral victory’ over its opponents, President Robert Mugabe appears to be struggling to prop up the struggling economy.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa confirmed the economic woes when he admitted last week before Parliament that the economy was in tatters, but blamed the rot on ‘targeted sanctions’ imposed on Zimbabwe over 10 years ago.
As panic sets in, the politburo has called for another meeting on Wednesday, barely two weeks after convening an extraordinary meeting to discuss the deepening crisis. A statement released by the party secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, urged all members to attend to discuss various issues.
Obert Gutu, the MDC-T spokesman for Harare province, poked fun at ZANU PF’s cluelessness in dealing with the economy when he said ‘rigging elections might not be an entirely impossible task but rigging the economy is a completely different ball game.’
‘The chickens are coming home to roost,’ said Gutu on his social networking Facebook page.
Matthew Nyashanu, a UK based political commentator who has just returned from a three week visit to Zimbabwe, told SW Radio Africa the economic collapse is accelerating, with ordinary citizens barely managing to raise enough money for their upkeep.
‘If you see a government shifting pay dates for its civil servants, you must realize you are dealing with a problem that will soon escalate to a crisis.
‘I have no doubt that the politburo will discuss nothing but the growing decline of the economy and try to find ways to deal with it,’ Nyashanu said. Many analysts have pointed out that the problem with ZANU PF is that most of their policies do nothing to encourage an economic upturn.
Malawian journalist Ayam Maeresa said the problems in Zimbabwe can be traced back to the flawed elections held in July last year. Speaking on our weekly Speak Out Padare program on Tuesday, Maeresa said the way elections were conducted in Zimbabwe does not inspire confidence in investors.
Malawians went to the polls on Tuesday in an election in which current President Joyce Banda is facing three strong challengers. Banda came to power two years ago after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika, but her reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid.
Maeresa said what might save Malawi from an economic meltdown is the transparency with which the Malawi Electoral Commission has conducted the preparations of the poll so far.
‘The registration of voters has been transparent, all political parties have been given access to state media and the voters roll has been availed to all parties, unlike what transpired in Zimbabwe,’ said Maeresa.
COMMENTS
The roof is about to fall in, even these idiots are starting to realize that the game is up, they have no money and no hope of getting any, soon theywon’t be able to pay the police or the army. Try to stock up with provisions if you can as all he’ll is about to break loose. R.I.P. Ids
Well articulated Andy. There is nowhere to hide anymore as the situation begins to unravel and reality sets in. The buck stops here comrades. Suddenly, politicians begin to notice that they do not live in a bubble but are surrounded by real people like them. The only difference is they think and act like they are more equal than the rest of us.. How will Chombo et al drive those mint cars without fuel or pay for fees for Zanu PF spoilt offspring dotted all over the world? And how about the numerous foreign missions that number more than 3 developed and affluent countries’ foreign missions put together? We have a mess on our hands and better be ready for the cleanup.
Thee guys must go. I am ready for the clean up any moment. As long as there is rule of law,freedom and peace, I am in . I will work my but off for my few years left on mother earth. I will enjoy it. ZANU must go and we should jealously protect the office of the President from occupation by idiots ever again .
Zanu pf knows the solution.Declare the July elections null and void .Call for fresh internationally observed elections .Level the playing field allow parties to campaign and let the best party win.I think this will only take place in our dreams as we know from past experience that zanu is run by clueless fools and geriatrics. May the Lord have mercy on our country
A proper voter registration process and access to the voters roll would also be an imperative.
…there is going to be all kinds of mealy mouthed approaches to the West and citizens like:
We never wanted bad relations
There has been overzealousness by some individuals
We want to start over
We are all Zimbabweans/brothers/sisters
Whites are valued…
Let us all work together
Mistakes have been made by all parties/Governments
We are in this together
Let’s put Zimbabwe first, we need to all make sacrifices
Let us all build Zimbabwe
Let’s do business, indigenisation has been revoked.
etc
zanupf not done yet. Look for return of Zim.$. Hyperinflation etc. which will make a seriously bad situation even worse but it will extend zanupf rule and that my friends is all they care about!! The inevitable however is on the horizon.
I agree with you. ZANU PF hasn’t tried its kiya-kiya economics like they did with Gono. They still haven’t tried force either. They still haven’t started putting their fingers into business and private bank accounts. So maybe they will last their 5 year term. But between you and me by that time POVO inenge yanzwa.
There is a lot going on at the moment.We all know that. On our debates there is a lot going on as well. You start to wonder on agendas. I have admired and still do that those on this forum have debated. The debates have been exciting and sometime exhilarating. Those that would take us backward even in this seemingly insignificant debate have entered the fray. Some might not even realize what they are doing. Some know exactly what they are doing. All with different agendas. We the true Zimbabweans,black white and brown will have our day.I sat back and read a man that claims he is Ndebele copy and paste Rhodesians will never die. I have heard a man that insist that Rhodesia must be brought back if things are to be normalized. I have heard the arguments of the secessionists. I have heard a mad man say Ndebeles should be wiped from the face of the earth. I sit and think are these people real? Ihave debated with pride with true Zimbabweans of all colores and have seen that they don’t care about anything other than their country nomilizing.
Are you smoking something illegal your comment is drivel.
Kevin you wouldn’t know drivel if it stared you in the face.
There is a lot going on at the moment.We all know that. On our debates there is a lot going on as well. You start to wonder on agendas. I have admired and still do that those on this forum have debated. The debates have been exciting and sometime exhilarating. Those that would take us backward even in this seemingly insignificant debate have entered the fray. Some might not even realize what they are doing. Some know exactly what they are doing. All with different agendas. We the true Zimbabweans,black white and brown will have our day.I sat back and read a man that claims he is Ndebele copy and paste Rhodesians will never die. I have heard a man that insist that Rhodesia must be brought back if things are to be normalized. I have heard the arguments of the secessionists. I have heard a mad man say Ndebeles should be wiped from the face of the earth. I sit and think are these people real? Ihave debated with pride with true Zimbabweans of all colores and have seen that they don’t care about anything other than their country nomilizing.
The truth of the matter my friends is that the demons are amongst us.(sorry about the break in my contribution) Why are all these people starting to prop up and take us away from the problem at hand? The problem at hand is the ruling party. What makes us think that those that claim that they are Rhodesian s are what they say they are? What makes us think the secessionist are secessionist? What makes us think that those that say they want the Ndebeles eliminated? What makes us think the ones that claim they aggrieved Ndebeles are actually Ndebele? Is this a plan to cause divisions because this is what the Hidden hands want? My friends I urge you to concentrate on the problem at hand. The removal of Zanu pf.
Doctor I will agree with you on one thing, CIO can pretend to be who they want to be and they will do anything to get us not to notice that Zanu is imploding. I don’t know about the Rhodie thing. Some people are still thinking of the past when they should be looking to the future.
GET RID OF ZANU-PF
Simba that is the spirit.
Guys dictators they dont care. they will continue to rig. Lucifer
One thing is for sure. Zanu-PF, with or without Mugabe, will not give up power without a fight. The economy can go right down the toilet without genuinely affecting the few who control the levers of power. The country will only begin to recover once these people and institutions are removed. Such removal may have to be violent, or at least carried out with a threat of violence.
Without some form of uprising we can look forward to a continued slow degradation into a failed state, or worse something that resembles North Korea.
I don’t like the title of this article.Zimbabwe does not have a politburo,that is totally a Zanu-PF entity.
Issues affecting Zimbabwe should be discussed in Parliament not at Party level.This thing politiburo is for ZPF Party related issues.Why is Parliament being superceeded by this body? Is Zimbabwe governed from Jongwe Building or from Parliament Building??
There is so much confusion in ZPF. Nobody knows who is supposed to be doing what in this mad house. They trip over each other all the time and end up clushing and giving conflicting statements.
Back to this article… ZPF have burnt all their bridges. All their so calle friends have given up on them. No one likes a scrounger let alone one with a loud mouth and an insatiable penchant for diverting national finances to personal use.
Lucy you are right, however we all know that the politburo is the government currently and it won’t be until Zim gets rid of ZANU that Parliament should properly assume power to govern.
The only thing that will cause these simple minded ZANU crooks to panic is a shortage of Viagra. They do not care that the majority of the population is in various stages of desperation.
Doc has it right. There is only one thing that counts. ZANU must go.
Yes and they are now also burning the bridge with China. the Soviets seem to be coming in. They are evicting China from Chiadzwa.
Nearer home the Chinese have been sent packing out of Vietnam. Two killed, several bloodied.
So, uchahwandirepiko wotomhanya!
Don’t be foolish. The politburo is not meeting to try and repair the economy, it is meeting to come up with ideas as to how best to reap more from the economic collapse. They are just locusts feeding from a dwindling crop and have no concept that they are the cause of the destruction.
There is not one member of ZANU-PF who thinks anything they have done has resulted in anything negative for our country. Instead they are firmly of the opinion that they are gifts to the nation and so deserve all they have accumulated. Only the most idealistic among you think the politburo is even slightly concerned about the national plight rather than their own welfare.
Zimbabwe has the government it deserves. Corrupt, racist and incompetent. That won’t change for a generation or more.
Well said, Jack. ZANU have such a sense of entitlement that they believe they are the saviours of the country and might not be mentally capable in looking back at what they have done in the country. They believe so wholly in the sanctions, freedom, Indigenisation etc etc mantra that they are blind to common decency, ethics, responsibility, compassion and accountability. Many say there is no concept of maintenance, development and design in Africa. If so, there is also no ability in thinking about the past, much like a dog.
Sadly I agree. They think that they are still in a struggle and it will eventually come right. They are telling themselves and are convinced that what they are doing is right. Their parents never taught them that to steal is not right. They have no conscience or moral compass. They are devoid of all goodness. How can BLACK empowerment by right! Imagine if it was called WHITE empowerment!!
They are meeting because they are struggling to pay the civil service and the army. I do believe things could get unpleasant when there is no money in the bank account to pay for food and rent.
kikikiki that is funny John Thomas! But look even in the midst of all this chaos one should be able to raise a laugh. It is good for us to retain our human side inspite of the myriad of problems before us.
Now that we have comically relieved ourselves lets proceed with more serious stuff and demand the following to arrest the fast disappearing national confidence:
1. Mugabe and his cabinet resign immediately
2. Mnangagwa, Mutasa, Chiwenga and Nyikayaramba must be arrested for orchestrating the election theft and for gross human rights violations and be brought before the International Criminal Court.
3. Parliament be dissolved immediately
4. The service chiefs all be retired immediately
5. The permanent secretaries of the following ministries be retired immediately:
a)Chief secretary to cabinet
b) defence
c) Home affairs
d) ministries of youth and indigenisation
c) women’s affairs
d) registrar general
e) mines
f) roads
g) The chief justice must retire immediately
h) Patrick Chinamasa, Nicholas Goche must retire from politics
Need to get a civil society coalition going as was being suggested by the breakaway group. Hold rallies and pull in the military and police. There will be some casualties, but this sort of action will move the inevitable forward in a structured and manageable way
panic??? they looking for face saving remedies.. what about a transitional govt. to implement the reforms we all voted for?
Well the problem is grandeur Mugabe and graceless see themselves as the owners and kings of Zimbabwe. They live in lavish lifestyle while the rest starve or go bankrupt.
Just a quick question for the author of this article, you say and I quote “Zimbabwe’s politburo”, now given that this is a zanu pf institution and not a national institution one wonders as to your motivation to say this
Because most of the policies to run this country come from the Politiburo where are you lost?
Mugabe aint going anywhere guys, for neither hell nor heaven wants him. Only in Zim can he live peacefully, going to Singapore on holiday every two weeks
LAFA ELIHLE
R.I.P ZIMBABWE
A psychiatrist visited the solitary confinement section of the prison with the permission of the authorities to conduct a psychiatric test. There were three inmates, a Chinese, an Indian and a member of the ZANU PF politburo. He gave each one two steel balls and told them he would be back in a week to see what they had achieved with the balls. Upon his return he went into the Chinese cell and saw the man juggling. Very good he exclaimed. He went into the Indian cell and there he saw the man holding a ball in each hand meditating. Again, very good he exclaimed. He went into the ZANU PF cell and asked the man: Where are the balls I gave you last week? He discovered that the man had lost the one and broken the other!! Brings a tear to the eye, doesn’t it?
Its NOT Zimbabwe’s Polituburo; its gukurahundi ZANU PF’s Politiburo, whatever that is!!!
‘……another meeting on Wednesday, barely two weeks after convening an extraordinary meeting to discuss the deepening crisis. … Didymus Mutasa, urged all members to attend to discuss various issues’.
kkkkkkk, so the buffoons believe it takes just a series of ‘extra-ordinary meetings’ by a bunch of clowns to fix an economy battered & torn over 34 yrs by a clique of moronic kleptocrats.
We all know these clowns can have their so-called extra-ordinary meetings each & every other day and nothing will come out of them. If anything, we know that instead of discussing serious issues they always spend all their time in those meetings striving to out-do each other in clowning; or praise singing and coining some outlandish titles to the ‘dear husband’. Gushungu this, Gushungu that, Gushungu Son of God, Gushungu Mother of God, blaaa, blaaaa……. That is all what Mutasa is shutting everyone to go and sing in the so-called extra-ordinary meeting. Shaaame; what a bunch of losers!
I agree fully with the majority of commentators here,the problem is ZANU,these Guys are old they should be enjoying their pensions at home with their families,they are out of ideas,clueless,directionless,and they blame the West for the countrys woes.What I find interesting is that the East is supporting Zimbabwe in all spheres,political,economical,social and so on,yet they fail to keep the economy afloat,is the West that strong,that without them the Contry is doomed?I think with the East on their side and others who are currently supporting them,the economy could be better if it was run by People with vision,vigour and purpose.People who understand the intricacies and dynamics of the modern World,ZANU has got to do the right thing,resign,set up a transional government,call for fresh,genuine and unrigged elctions.Within its Leadership,it must inject new blood,new ideas,elect young talented Leaders people who will take this country to where it is supposed to.I cant comprehend another pre-2008 situation
the end game is upon us…chickens definitely coming home to roost
The Sonnenkinder have already been sent to the best schools abroad, in the US, Britain, France, Australia, and they are ready to take over from their fathers.
Their names have been changed and nobody will identify them when they come back to occupy high offices.
We have seen company grabing all over the country, 51% to the indeginous did you really buy that? Well, here is the plan when the sons and daughters of these thieves return, they will come and inherit the shares bought for them anonymously by their fathers. and it will be Zanu all over and again.
Example, AMC
we must stop this at all cost.
Start by listing all the names of their kids, relatives abroad .We will hunt them foerever
And hunt we must… they meeting to find ways of saving their own skins…
Ah so it’s sanctions again! How come the economy picked up during the GNU when the so-called sanctions were still in place? Real leaders do something about a problem not just constantly make excuses after all this will not solve the problem.
Ngatimborovanai izvi zvanyanya
Listen to this conversation; this is Mugabe asking son, my son what do you want to be when you grow? Father I want to be a doctor, my son why a doctor not a Presiden? Father how can I be a President while don’t wanna live your post? Son mind your words, in their minds they know very well that they messed up the country but it is me and you , Britain, America ect ect, that did not give them money to buy new clothes that is why there are wearing torn clothes.
Yes, ZANU PF must go. To achieve that, the Politburo must be disconnected from commandeering the ZRP, ZDF and CIO to thwart the nation’s best hopes and desires.
Therein lies the problem. How?
They want investment but where is the electricity and water supply and all other amenities for an investor to be serious. There has not been the repeal of the indigenization law. ZANU PF needs to get real or they must suck eggs. Attitude of entitlement. We should have no more politicians running our country we want people with track records of personal success. Everyone currently is a blood sucking parasite
I say again. Civil society needs to gather as a coalition and in strength. In the current conditions the police and military (or at least some of them) will join. Hold rallies, build momentum, be prepared to take casualties, but this will speed up the inevitable and at least you will be in control of the process.
This can only come from a crazy idiot. Zimbabwe is not a banana republic. As much as you dream, let these remain as dreams for any attempt to the unknowable will bring wreath to the dowers .
Building trust takes a long time, destroying it takes seconds, rebuilding it is almost impossible. They can sugar coat anything but a tiger is always a tiger, Good for them Zimbabweans are cowards.
Makotsi. Your comment followed mine. Were you making reference to what I said or to the article?
Can’t wait to see some of these murdering thieves at the Hague when the walls come falling down! They should be panicking….
The Egyptian way is the way . This fear of not wanting to leave sadza wil keep on impoverishing us for many years to come . If it was R. G under this plight chaibvondoka bcz he doesnt tolerate nonsense . The guys roaming the streets should start it .