via Late budget suggests all is not well for Zimbabwe | The Zimbabwean by Nelson Sibanda 20.11.13
Delays by finance minister Patrick Chinamasa in announcing the national 2014 budget have sent signals to the nation that all is not well with the economy.
Economic analysts and ordinary citizens suspect that Chinamasa may have deferred announcing the budget to January next year because his purse is empty.
However, others commended the delay as “it would give government sufficient time to consider all the input collected during consultations with stakeholders”.
Announcing the postponement, Chinamasa said he wanted enough time for consultations before coming up with a realistic and sustainable budget.
Traditionally, government announces the budget in October to set the tone for the following year’s economic activity.
Former minister of finance Tendai Biti told The Zimbabwean that his budgets during the GNU used to be on time because he ran ministry programmes as scheduled.
He said he did not know the reasons behind the postponement of Chinamasa’s budget, but need for more consultations was not one of the causes.
Current efforts by government to engage with institutions such as the African Development Bank and IMF were seen as a desperate initiative to secure budget support.
COMMENTS
The one choice we have so far embraced as suffering Zimbabweans is the choice to remain inactive. We have grown so used to suffering and turmoil that we are almost accepting it as the normal way of life. Mugabe is a happy man. He is happy that the people of Zimbabwe are embracing his totalitarian and repressive rule as the normal way of Zimbabwean life. We have been conditioned in the most bizarre way possible.
We remain with our choice to be docile and receptive to torture, murder, poverty, rape of our womenfolk and abuse of our children. In living with our choice to remain loyal to those who cause us to live perilous lives, we have to accept the sad rewards. We cannot openly disagree with Mugabe. We have to treat him like a God-sent angel with tidings of peace and goodwill. We have to silently sulk at our stupidity. Mugabe has extended his largesse to only allow us to fantasise on anything else that has nothing to do with him.
We are allowed to sulk silently. We have the express right to remain silent even when the urge to explode in verbal anger visits us. We are allowed to dream but are forbidden to tell what we dream. We have the right to castles in the air, yet it is a crime to complain about the discomfort in the hovel that you call your home. Our minds conjure up democratic dispensations for our country, yet it is unthinkable to mention such to Mugabe and his lieutenants. We are doomed, condemned, ruined and damned to remain Zimbabweans with no choice but to whinge in total silence.No food, no money, no education, no water, no electricity, no roads, no lights, no freedom, no human rights, no dignity, no future, no respect, no self-esteem, no civilization, no beliefs, no ethics, no common sense, no moral values, no principles. I am proud racist, living with fear, xenophobia, corruption, surrounded by beggars, wise guys, simpletons. I expect nothing, I am nothing, and I am the global disgrace. All I care is the colour of the skin of others and my God the almighty U.S dollar. Live and let die. I am good for nothing. “God save his Excellency the KING Robert Mugabe” who saved us from the big bad wolf the bustard whites and took absolutely everything from us for his self and his gang. I am the most selfish and stupid person in Africa, I am free and proud to be Zimbabwean.
Zimbabwe is guilty of perpetuating this dictatorship. The middle class, who join the Central Intelligence Organisation, for example, in droves to buttress the oppression of Zimbabweans, are guilty. The greedy businesspersons, small traders and economic chancers we hear about every day who continue to seek political favour to gain an unfair advantage are also guilty of perpetuating a system that oppresses them. We have also seen how those that are in opposition politics and claim to represent the interests of those who want an outside have become persuaded and are now complicit in strengthening this tyranny. Most of us have, therefore, played a decisive role and in part created the very conditions that we continue to complain against and blame. Can a dictatorship such as this be dislodged through free and fair elections? Can our society destroy this pervasive and evil foundation from within? No, unless the international community aggressively intervenes because change can only be fuelled from outside our society.
No external force or wishful dream can undo what The Ever Living Almighty God is doing in Zimbabwe through His poeple.The Lord is with the poeple, dont worry.
The country’s broke. It’s that simple. Things could get very messy, very quickly.
We are wasting time thinking about Mugabe and his cdes, They were never prepared to rule. If you ready about our vice president’s history you can understand she did not know who to use a phone when she was a sport minister. ZANU PF is was ter movement know a mafia. The are stealing the little that is left and will steal more using urban toll gates. Corrupt Obert Mpofu will buy Gwanda, Falls, Bulwayo, and part of Beit B. Grace will take Hippo valley Estate after Mozowe. I will not say anymore, Ngoma Huru
Our docility as a people as a people is our greatest undoing as Zimbabweans. We trust too much in fate wen we better and more practical options to deal with this tyranny.
I am excited by Boss comment above. Yes, this is a true picture that you gave us. Everyone knows and agree. But my question is, Ndiani achasungirira katsi bhero…Who will tie the bell around the cat’s neck? If you cant do it dont expect me to do it man…
The economic indicators show that in the coming months, Zimbabwe could find itself in the most difficult situation ever.
The civil service will have no salaries. The business community will shut enmass. Look at the panic in govt now. If you have money in the bank, you will soon realise they are just figures on paper, the cash isn’t there. Its Kingdom today, but it is evident among all the banks. Gono cant print papers now.
In times like this,ordinary citizens are left to their vices to figure out what is ordinarily one of the simplest things in life, “where do we go from here”
If that void is not filled we are then well within our rights to start speculating about what our government is capable of. One of these being the return of our Zimbabwean dollars.
We will wake up one of these days to the announcement of the return of the Zimbabwean dollar, much to the amusement of the looters who are going to sweep clean any traces of the American dollar . This will be followed by the opening up of businesss by our ministers who know nothing about running businesses except that they will find themselves with so much money that they have no idea as to what to do with it. Remember the Rolleys Royce of chicken farms that could not pay workers when the finance ministry changed hands.
Our government has no money neither do they have any clue how to and where to find it. They could of-course have made sure that there is money circulating in the country if they could afford to be decent leaders . Only if they stopped looting resources and disrupting lives of ordinary citizens.
You know what,l am so looking for zimbas to go hungry again like 2007/8 maybe that will teach us that the personal is very political. You can not just separate yourself from politics and expect to eat. Shame on you zimbas.
have a good one this festive season, the New Year is going to be harsh..
The country is stone broke! Zanoid idiots!
There is no more country to talk about gentlemen. A country is made up of living people, trees, land, rivers, mountains, animals and everything you can imagine.In once upon a country Zimbabwe its people are only existing like rocks but have no life, no future, no hope and above all entrapped forever.The one upon land of milk and honey has been made by barren. Almighty God help us. Amen
Bossmyass, unless the people of Zimbabwe rise against Mugabe international help will not be forthcoming. The UN, will not allow it. You can just hear the indignant cries of racist capitalism coming from other African deities, oops I meant governments. Another point to consider is that when Mugabe dies things WILL NOT CHANGE. The Zanupf “comrades” are actually a mafia style gang who cannot and will not lose power. They would lose everything and they will not accept that scenario. No my friend only the Zimbabwe people can change this horrendous situation you are in. International help only will then be forthcoming to help the country move forward. But it will not be easy, look at Libya as a recent example. It has its problems but at least they are now free and on a forward path albeit slow and with big problems.
PS no amount of elections will help Zimbabwe as long as the Zanumafia are in power.
“A people that values its priveliges above its principles soon looses both”.
Zimbos, salvation can only come from within
Zimbabwe do nothing to promote trust to international companies, either East or West. The grabbing of the farms and proposed “Indigenisation” of international companies has meant that these companies have looked elsewhere for safe countries to invest in.
They are not interested in politics, only that they can make sound, long term investments with reasonable profit. That is what happens in every country, East and West. So if a country grabs like Zim did with the farms etc it is seen as a high risk and will attract companies who will want a large payback in exchange for investing.Until Zim gets a stable government who abides by international rules there will never be good, long term investment aka South Africa.
I predict, no, I prophecy that Zimbabwe will implode economically then politically in a few months time – and Zimbabweans will be very very angry and they will act – but it will be messy, very messy. Call me prohet of DOOM if you want!