Mugabe economically illiterate: Mandaza

via Mugabe economically illiterate: Mandaza 17/12/2013 NewZimbabwe

Don’t tell me there is no cash … Mugabe last week ordered his treasury chief to find money.  Zimbabwe needs new leadership … Ibbo Mandaza

THE government’s new economic blueprint is a fanciful political programme with no relationship to reality and Zimbabwe’s “economically illiterate leadership” has no hope of ending the country economic crisis.

This was political analyst Ibbo Mandaza’s damning assessment of Zanu PF’s new economic programme – the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) – and the party’s prospects of lifting the country of the present mire.

Addressing the leaders for Africa network conference held in Bulawayo last Friday, Mandaza who joined Simba Makoni in the 2008 elections, said the Zanu PF leadership was unequal to the country’s worsening economic challenges.

“They are failures!” he charged.

“I couldn’t be part of them. It’s a pity you now all focus on (President Robert) Mugabe; you need to look forward. In fact, he (Mugabe) is not even there, is he? So prepare for the future and look beyond him.”

He added: “One of the biggest failures of the Zimbabwean government is illiteracy. Our leadership is largely economic illiterate including (President Robert) Mugabe himself. We need people who know what they are talking about.

Zanu PF says ZimAsset will reboot an economy battered by a decade-long recession and uncertainty arising from the July 31 elections which were condemned by the West in a development that meant damaging sanctions would not be lifted.

But Mandaza said Mugabe and his party could dream on.

“Zim Asset is just a political statement,” he said.

“From where can you get that 7,3 percent (projected economic) growth next year. It is just a Zanu PF manifesto; it is just a political statement which means totally nothing.

“It has no relation to reality. It is largely a reflection of Zanu PF’s election manifesto. I don’t take it serious.”

Only leadership renewal at the very top could, now, rescue the country, he added.

“Mugabe is old he is very old he should have retired long ago. He (Mugabe) will not be there forever so you must be thinking on the post-Mugabe era. Look beyond the current leadership most of them are old,” he said.

“We need a new leadership, generational change is necessary. For those of my age and older, we have failed even if we do not admit it; too often we cannot. There is no magic in our hands anymore. Every trick has been tried and failed, so we need change.”

Mugabe, who turns 90 in February, has run Zimbabwe since independence in 1989. He refuses to retire, insisting his work is not yet done.

The veteran leader claimed another fiver-year term in office in July after romping to a landslide victory against main rival and former premier Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition MDC-T party.

However, Mandaza said the election was a farce.

“We need to change the nature and content of politics. Every election will have problems. The only way we can win elections now is by rigging. Did you vote? I never bothered,” he said.

 

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