via Comment: Life is getting harder after July 31 polls – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 11, 2013
President Robert Mugabe’s desperate cry for the fulfilment of his party’s promises to the electorate are sincere and well meant, but unfortunately, the ability by his party or himself to action these promises are next to nil.
The reasons for Zanu PF’s failure to make good its promises include unavailability of resources, corruption, misappropriation and outright theft of the little available resources, general mismanagement of an economy which itself is getting sicker by the day.
Given the state of the country’s economy, there is no way Zimbabwe can create 2,2 million jobs in the next five years. If anything, more jobs will be lost.
Already hundreds of people have been rendered jobless after elections as several companies downsize or close down because of debilitating economic difficulties.
Mugabe is dreaming if he thinks that – given the prevailing economic situation – factories are going to start running or that the National Railways of Zimbabwe (which is currently seeking to retrench hundreds of workers) will start operating, or that Air Zimbabwe will be back in full flight, or that the country’s roads will be rid of potholes. Mugabe and Zanu PF should think realistically and not make people expect miracles to happen.
The mere fact that under the leadership of Zanu PF and Mugabe, Zimbabwe has failed to point at a single physical investment put in place from direct proceeds of the country’s biggest source of wealth — diamonds — explains a lot of things.
We do not have even a single hospital, or school or road or shopping complex or any meaningful investment that has been built from diamond proceeds. We have nothing to show for our platinum or our gold.
What is not in doubt is that many individuals especially, in Zanu PF, have grown filthy rich through stealing these resources and nothing has been done about it.
The excuse for doing nothing has been that there is no evidence – even though it is known that the individuals are stealing.
What more evidence is required to arrest and prove non-tolerance to national plunder could there be than a situation where, in Mugabe’s words, an official demanded a bribe and the issue was exposed in the presence of the country’s chief of police and relevant ministers. Up to date, no arrests have been made and the suspicion is that too many sensitive people, including those with the powers to arrest and prosecute, are involved.
And, the Zanu PF government has, since retaining power in July, done nothing to attract meaningful foreign direct investment, the rock upon which any economy can build its foundation. Clearly, things have gone economically worse that they were before elections and Zimbabweans have begun to feel the heat.
There is no doubt the people are going to, if they have not already begun to do so, ask where the good life that Zanu PF promised them is? Zanu PF is destroying people’s lives further by making them homeless and jobless.
The demolitions are going to leave self-empowered people destitute after their tuck-shops, hair salons or general dealer shops are brought down.
Those that had stopped paying rent to landlords must go back to look for rentals after their new homes are destroyed by the party that won elections promising to “indigenise, employ, empower and develop”.
COMMENTS
Wait till you have to contend with 2015!!!!! I am one of millions who loathe despise the zanu murdering criminal magandangas with a vengeance. Sadly the end will be very bloody
Foreign investors should still be prepared to accept that he or she will have to part with a 51 percent stake to locals in line with the policy, making it difficult for one to put in their money, It is very likely we will still remain the least attractive third world country to do business in. I don’t expect to see much improvement on that front. Whether policies such as the indigenisation policy are noble or not, they have had a negative effect on investors, worse still after it has now been turned into a political tool by the Zanu PF party. We remain our own enemies with regards to policies that are implemented. Black cited countries with high growth rates such as Nigeria, Angola, Tanzania, Ghana and Botswana as more favourable in terms of investment. Africa is attracting “huge foreign direct investment but Zimbabwe is not part of it” and “the indigenisation law is not attractive”. The law forces companies to sell a majority stake in their businesses to indigenous people.SUCK YOUR SELFISHNESS AND YOUR BIG IDEAS. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY USELESS GOOD FOR NOTHING. YOU HAVE DESTROYED A GREAT COUNTRY AND A GREAT NATION. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN GOLD WHICH YOU TURNED INTO SOIL. INDIGENISATION MY ASS.GREEDY PIGS, COFFINS HAVE NO POCKETS.
This is really an opinion. I have no time to comment on shallow opinion
For now we see Mugabe trying to entice African Union to pull out of the ICC. He does this only to save himself. His speech recently at UN general assembly blasted the west for “sanctions” which as far as Zimbabweans, are only targeted at few corrupt Zanu pf officials. Mugabe cannot speak for us if he cannot not let us speak. Mugabe no longer speak the interests of the Zimbabwean people, he speaks only his and Zanu pf’s interests.