via It’s over to you, Mujuru, Tsvangirai – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 30, 2015
Zimbabwe is on autopilot to nowhere because Zanu PF has ignored the principles of good economics and spent too much energy on divisive politics that are neither adding any value nor developing our resources to the optimum.
Vince Musewe
If we are to remember this generation of leaders, we will remember them as men and women who were obsessed with matters of history and political intrigue and forgot that in order to eat, we have to plough the fields.
After calling a Press conference to announce the reality that this government is failing and can no longer pay bonuses, I saw grown man buckle and capitulate under humiliating public derision from their supreme leader of all time. How shameful and insincere. Zimbabwe surely deserves better?
I could not help, but feel angry and sad at the same time at what we have become — a nation of buffoons whose self-esteem has been continually bashed into submission to one man.In my opinion, with regard to the bonus issue, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa et al have actually knowingly chosen to do the wrong things for our country for the sake of political expediency. I guess that is no surprise.
Political survival looms large in the minds of many as the system collapses and the centre can no longer hold. We are in for a rough ride.
I think that the mentality of entitlement to a bonus that is not related to performance is a disease that we have nursed for far too long in this country.
The culture of entitlement that has been promoted by Zanu PF throughout the years has now become a national pastime. Civil servants actually feel entitled to a bonus regardless of the economic conditions that we face. I suspect that this is not limited to the public sector only, but also includes those in the private sector. Everyone wants to take, and nobody wants to give. We have become a generation of takers indeed.
I, however, understand where everyone is coming from because despite the obvious need for everyone to tighten their belts, our leaders have not done so. So why should ordinary civil servants in the public service or employees in the private sector sacrifice given the meagre salaries they earn?
Let the ministers and senior government officials return the expensive SUVs they drive, courtesy of the poor taxpayer. Let us see the limit of maximum salaries in the public service and State enterprises at $6 000 as promised by Chinamasa last year, being implemented first, before we ask ordinary civil servants to sacrifice anything.
Let us also see the private sector doing the same. Despite the incessant complaints by those in business that things are bad, it appears that they would rather fire employees than take a cut in their packages.
The lack of authenticity of leadership, both in the public and private sector, will continue to be the albatross on any possibility of a serious economic turnaround. We all want to see change, but are unwilling to be the change that we want to see.
In my opinion, I am convinced that there is no other solution except a political settlement which must create an inclusive body to deal with the rot.
However, this political settlement can only happen if we see all our strong political players coming together to force some urgency to the matter.Zanu PF must also accept that indeed there is no way out of this cul de sac which they have manufactured without some compromise. Arrogance, entitlement and naked lies will not get our country anywhere.
I have begun to imagine whether a union of forces between MDC-T and ex-Vice President Joice Mujuru’s lot would help anything. My contention is that substantive change can indeed come from them if they combine forces and intent.
Despite my reservations on the sincerity of the Mujuru camp, it certainly brings the past and the institutional memory of Zanu PF misgovernance to the table, while MDC-T leader and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, believe it or not, brings with him a considerable number of ordinary folk who are desperate for something new.
If only these two could take a bit of risk and come out strongly to force Zanu PF to the table, maybe we could begin to move in the right direction, at least.
The current scenario requires all those who claim to be politicians to come out in the open to stop things getting worse. That requires that we all stop what we are doing and realise that we are the architects of the problems we are currently facing. It is only us Zimbabweans who can really decide to change things. Others can help us, but we alone must first demonstrate to the world that we are serious about change.
In my opinion, we must not expect any miracles from the President. He is human after all and cannot single-handedly turn around our situation. I think we are expecting too much from him. Good for him, he has lived the life he chose, he has acquired the power he imagined, but he is clearly not desperate for substantive change. If he was, surely he would have acted by now? It is evident that the change we seek will not come from there.
As patriotic Zimbabweans, we must all now demand substantive change and the establishment of a government of national unity that balances Zanu PF interests by saving their face in light of a collapsing economy and substantive reforms which must include a constitutional alignment of our laws and a new inclusive economic agenda.
What I know for sure is that ordinary Zimbabweans are so sick and tired of the status quo they need someone or anyone to step up. We just have to take the unorthodox route to create new results.
I must ask both Mujuru and Tsvangirai: If not you, whom? And if not now, when? This is no time for any fear.
Vince Musewe is an economist and author based in Harare. You may contact him on vtmusewe@gmail.com
COMMENTS
If these ministers really believe in what they had attempted to implement, then they should resign and demonstrate to us that they are principled.
Every struggle needs leaders. It is highly regarded if Amai Mujuru and Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai can join forces and lead the children of Zimbabwe to the bitter end. We can not continue with this sheepish attitude of expecting our battles to be fought by other while we grumble on the sidelines. We had the likes of Josiah Tongogara and Herbert Chitepo who died for the right ideals of the struggle that are being betrayed by the current leadership. The government or cabal in place is filled with self agrandising manipulative,opportunistic individuals who are hell bent on enriching themselves. It is pathetic and preposterous that we have academics who are in favour of the unscrupulous and archaic policies that are only advantaging their immediate cronies. The list of corruption is endless. Liberations are fought from many fronts. What we need in Zimbabwe is financial and human resource to sponsor legal representation and medical bills in the event of injuries and injustices. All Zimbabweans if we can come together and fight this common enemy we may experience the change that we want. Egypt, Tunisia and Libya liberated themselves united we can. Every struggle has causalities. Our lives in foreign lands are not guaranteed. Our days are numbered. Soon there will be blood bath in South Africa because its on the edge. South Africans are boiling with anger. It’s only a matter of time before they explode and claim what rightfully belong to them. We must not blame them. They owe us nothing. We owe ourselves liberation. What legacy are we going to live for our kids? Are we going to just leave the country going to these cruel people who have imposed themselves on us. As for Mugabe’s ranting its a sign of someone who is mentally incapacitated and who is no longer fit to run a country like Zimbabwe. Tribalism is not acceptable and I personally condemn it. He has lost it. Zimbabwe belongs to all who are in it whether black,white, yellow,or whoever. Lets give support to our esteemed opposition leaders to lead us to liberation. Together we can divided we fall.
I hope they are listening. There is need for some form of leadership in Zimbabwe. Thirty five years of the same is leading nowhere. The myth that leaving the militaristic faction of ZANU PF as fronted by the post December 2014 congress leads to a dead end in political careers should be proved wrong. The Mujuru group can and must urgently lead the team that combines with democrats in turning the country around. Zimbabwe needs leaders not the rulers it has had since colonial days. The colour of the skin does nothing to change an oppressive system. There is need to have equal oppotunities for everyone: black, brown, pink or white. There is too much unnecessary talk of black people as special when fdi is surely expected from pink and white folks. They should have equal opprtunities even in agri business and land ownership for as long as they utilise the resources to better the economy.
Veduwe! Mujuru and her team are from the same Zanu yeropa. Are they the only people in Zimbabwe to lead.MaZimba mazhinji munofunga nekushre tgats why we are all suffering.There are hundreds of competant and non evil citizens ready for 2018.They will come to the open few months before election coz Zanu ndeyeropa.STOP YOUR MUJURU TSVANGIRAYI GABAGE. Those 2 idiots will NEVER RULE Zimbabwe.They betrayed Zim masses when they could have worked to change Mugabe.The praise worshiped him at any given opportunity.To hell naMujuru, that witch illtreated and terrorised her neighbours in Harare. I will write the story if it(evil witch) vows to join any party so that the public can judge. For now l shall play it by kamba’s style…..
Thats very tru but I think all of us know that Zim,ns has been made weak by the environment that we are in i.e no freedom of demonstration against any unfavourable situation becoz everything in Zim has become more political hence requires a political solution, but the problem now is we are forced to let only one party to remain in charge regardless of its ability to sort out our concerns, no one of this generation is willing to challenge our leaders as the same our leaders did to the Smith Regime. To demonstrate agaist our economic situation is considered an offence by our leaders though the same hardships triggered demos & Chimurengas by the same our leaders agaist the Smith Regime. What it now means is that if White minority is in power & there are hardships facing the nation people should stage demos or even Chimurengas but if the same scenario comes with Black ellite we are told, “Rambai Makashinga”, or keep tightening belts, “Zvichanaka”. Now if, “Kuramba Takashinga” would work why do we have the Heros acre and all the comrades and war vets? What I am saying is not to incite demos and rebellion but why people sacrifise even life as our heros did is basicall becoz they didn’t want hardships and everyone don’t but it seems our leaders are not addressing our issues they priorities themselves 1st and us maybe later or when they are as comfortable as they wish. Proudly Zimbabwean.