Source: I am partly to blame for Zim crisis, Makoni – NewZimbabwe 18/04/2016
FORMER Finance minister Simba Makoni says he accepts ‘partial responsibility’ for the situation Zimbabwe finds itself in today.
Makoni gave an analogous description of what has come to be known as the Zimbabwean crisis.
He said: “If I were a medical doctor I would say this patient is in critical condition in terms of care. The people are fearful, despondent, suffering; and the people can’t see the future.
“The landmass is also distraught, you see potholes on the road, gullies in the countryside, buildings deteriorating and were last painted 20 years ago; forests are being denuded.
“So, the landmass is comparable to the state of Zimbabwe the people; it’s characterised by pain.”
The Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn leader made these remarks in an interview with the BBC Monday, independent Zimbabwe’s 36th anniversary.
Asked if, as a former Zanu PF member, he felt responsible for Zimbabwe’s current situation, Makoni said: “Yes, quite clearly because I have been among the leaders of this nation right from its foundation.”
“When I left Zanu PF the statement I made on February 5, 2008 was that the condition that Zimbabwe finds itself in is a result of failure of leadership. So, how can I absolve myself? If it has been a failure of leadership and I have been a leader clearly, I must accept partial responsibility.”
Makoni then traced the country’s problems to the days of the liberation war, saying the purpose of the struggle was never clearly articulated then, allowing greed to hold sway.
He said: “We never defined clearly what the purpose of the struggle was. If you follow what our leaders were saying during the struggle it was all about democracy; about the people and the welfare of the people but the reality of the matter is that it became a quest for power and material accumulation, that’s what went wrong.”
On whether there was hope for Zimbabwe? “Yes, definitely,” said Makoni.
He then elaborated on his patient-Zimbabwe analogy.
“It’s a like condition that has been allowed to fester but there are medicines and there are procedures and we may even include surgeries. I don’t think Zimbabwe’s situation is difficult to correct.
“What needs to be done is not very hard. The capacities to do it are there if we had the right direction and if those in leadership behaved in the interest of and for the good of the people rather than in our interests and for our good.”
COMMENTS
Simba is a chess player in a rugby game, he will never win. It’s a pity really, he sounds like the best president Zim will never have.
When you consider that the major backers during the war were the USSR and Communist China – it was NEVER about democracy. Can one imagine these countries supporting democracy when it was totally forbidden at home?
It was always about power and greed. Always.
It was all them 5% of the population white folks fault. Them colonizers doncha know. If we can get rid of the remaining .5% then everything will be OK doncha know.
Then maybe we can get a Biafra-size famine going. We can stand to lose 5 million or so donch know. Anythings better than having white folks growing our food for us.
When I saw the headline suggesting Makoni is admitting partial responsibility for causing the Zimbabwean crisis. I thought he meant entering the 2008 general elections to split the opposition vote and save ZANU-PF from a heavier defeat than the one it suffered. That is Makoni’s biggest sin.
plain painful truth to fellow Zimbos, Makoni’s biggest sin, derailed change 2008
The undoctored truth is that the 8% that voted for Simba makoni never voted for the opposition in local govt, parliamentary or senate elections. Instead these are people who voted for Zanu PF everywhere else except for the president. If Makoni wasnt there Mugabe would not have lost to Tsvangirai in that first round. In doubt refer to the actual voting patterns and results available where the Makoni group sysmpathisers (bhora musango group) was actually winning whilst their president was losing. Voters in this nation are not yet at the level of selecting candidates for whatever they stand for but rather just go with their party through and through.
Mujuru is doing the same. It’s all a frigging Mugabe plan to keep the reigns of power with ZANU PF. Stupid people of zimbabwe cannot see this!! What a big big shame