It’s the economy, stupid

via It’s the economy, stupid – DailyNews Live 13 August 2014 by John Kachembere

HARARE – Americans have a saying “it’s the economy, stupid” to rein in politicians and leaders of ruling political parties whenever they try to divert people’s attention from real bread and butter issues to other peripheral issues like war, homeland security, attacks on foreign governments as well as other theatrics which show that a ruling party is now clueless when it comes to what really matters to the people.

In case Zanu PF has forgotten its promises to the people of Zimbabwe, we will remind them:

It’s about 2 million jobs; It’s about factories working overtime; It’s about the availability of affordable transport; It’s about law and order; It’s about investment; It’s about adequate and affordable food; It’s about working infrastructure; It’s about working hospitals and schools; It’s about well and timeously paid civil servants: teachers, soldiers, policemen, nurses and game ranchers.

It’s about a well-resourced Parliament, Executive and Judiciary. (We know the Executive caters well for itself judging by the cars they drive and lengths to which they go to borrow money to look after themselves)!

It’s about agricultural and mining productivity;

It’s about indigenisation and empowerment (this needs to be done properly not the one-size-fits-all propagated by Savior Kasukuwere when he was minister of Indigenisation.

It’s about Chinamasa’s 6,1 percent economic growth projections and it’s about governance.

In other words, it’s about the economy, stupid!

It is not about side issues and theatrics about self-engineered kidnappings among the party’s women;

It’s not about midnight meetings by bigwigs buying youth and women’s votes;

It’s not about who will or will not lead youths or women.  It’s about bread and butter issues, period. It’s about ZimAsset! Where is it?

It’s not about Impi;

It’s not about Baba or Amai Jukwa. It’s not about WikiLeaks. Nobody eats those things… It’s about the economy, stupid. Sort out the economy and the rest will fall into place.

So Zanu PF, please, deliver on your promises or else you will confirm the accusation of propelling yourselves into power through intentional, deliberate and fraudulent misrepresentation!

Let’s eat bread not conspiracy theories! The same anger and urgency with which we saw President Robert Mugabe attending to the food requirements of the Zanu PF youth league conference is the same anger, energy and swiftness with which Zimbabweans expect him and his ruling party to attend to the widespread economic issues bedevilling the country so that swiftly, people can eat and be happy, the same way the youths were fed!

We are sure that the same mistake (of lack of food) will not be repeated at the women’s conference starting tomorrow. Let’s see the economy receiving the same attention.

Mines minister, Walter Chidhakwa recently reported gold production is down by 26 percent. Diamond mining is in trouble and so is platinum. Agriculture did not do very well except tobacco. Maize, soya, wheat and other cereals were down on required national volumes and we ask the question: is this ZimAsset?

It’s about adequate power, fuel and affordable electricity.

It’s about Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) boss Gershom Pasi collecting adequate taxes through appropriate and normal means.

It’s not about increasing toll gates and toll fees.

It’s not about fixing each other in dog-eat-dog factional fights… What is there to fight for when there is no economy to talk about?

It’s not about the state of affairs we see at Chingwizi refugee camp.

It’s not about city of Harare buying luxury cars from borrowed money for water and sewage.

It’s not about destroying governance at Chitungwiza Town Council or maybe since its name rhymes with Chingwizi refugee camp. We want to reduce Chitungwiza to Chingwizi for they are soon going to look the same judging by the sewerage disaster there!

We are certain that if our president was to visit Chitungwiza and Chingwizi the same day, those in Cabinet responsible for the suffering and human rights degradation of the people would be asked to go…!

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