via Simba Makoni calls out Mugabe on sanctions, labels him ‘incompetent’ – Nehanda Radio Sep 12 2014
HARARE – Opposition Mavambo Kusile Dawn party leader Simba Makoni says President Robert Mugabe’s incompetence is to blame for Zimbabwe’s deepening economic problems, adding that the ageing leader should stop blaming sanctions for his own failures.
Economists, industrialists and labour experts are warning of a troubled 2014 for Zimbabwe as many companies are slipping into liquidation or judicial management, throwing thousands of workers out of the job market and invariably pushing the unemployment rate close to 90 percent.
In an exclusive interview with VOA’s Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, the former finance minister who broke ranks with Mr. Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party in 2008 to contest as an independent presidential candidate said countries that had tougher international sanctions than Zimbabwe emerged even stronger economically through Import Substitution Industrialization.
Makoni cited Rhodesia, apartheid South Africa and Iraq as having fared much better than Zimbabwe even under strigent sanctions. He took a swipe at Mr. Mugabe saying he has “nothing to hide behind apart from his incompetence and his unwillingness to work for the people of Zimbabwe.”
Makoni says the government of Zimbabwe has for years come up with more than 14 brilliant economic blueprints, but Mr Mugabe has been unwilling to implement them.
The 28-nation European Union, imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 in protest at human rights abuses and violations of democracy under Mr Mugabe.
But the grouping has gradually eased sanctions over the last few years to encourage political reform.
The United States also implemented the targeted sanctions program against Mr. Mugabe and his inner circle in 2003 as a result of the “actions and policies of certain members of the government of Zimbabwe and other persons undermining democratic institutions and processes in Zimbabwe.”
Critics however say the sanctions, aimed at forcing Mr. Mugabe onto a more democratic path, only gave the Zanu-PF leader an excuse to clampdown on the opposition, leading to violent elections such as the inconclusive 2008 ballot.
Mr. Mugabe has also blamed sanctions for the country’s decade-long recession which left the country’s economy near complete collapse and forced millions of Zimbabweans to escape into neighboring countries.
Makoni also said Mr. Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party which has been crippled by factionalism as the race to succeed the 90 year old Mugabe hots up has been on “the decay for a long time and president Robert Mugabe has tried to paper the cracks and pretend that the party is united.”
Makoni also criticised the media for allegedly blowing clashes in his own party out of proportion after some members questioned the wisdom of not contesting last year’s presidential election and backing former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Makoni says only a handful of his party supporters are against him forming alliances with other opposition political parties contrary to media claims that this strategy is threatening to tear the party apart.
The former finance minister has vowed to consider strategic alliances in future if he feels they are necessary.
In an exclusive interview with Studio 7’s Blessing Zulu, Makoni says he is in the process of restructuring his party. VOA
COMMENTS
Mr Makoni you seem to be a good well meaning and intelligent individual, how come it took you so long to jump ship from Zanu pf!? Any half intelligent person would know that if sanctions were the reason for the demise of Zimbabwe laws would have been passed to encourage those in the Diaspora to return and one of those laws would justifiably be granting them the right to vote. Mr Mugabe and Zanu “are the ones” who destroyed a gem of a country where both black and white could have prospered given the right policies.
Johann
How long did it take for Shonas to stop voting ZANU PF en masse? From 1980 to 1999; a total of 19 years?
Mumwe Anoti: Message ti Simba.
Veduwee- munhu ngaaite run and manage his own party in such a way that voters flock to him and win him elections. this idea of bashing ZPF and RGM to win votes and/or political sympathy- haina chimuko. this false DAWN or Mavambo or maybe is it now MAGUMO seems to be heading to political oblivion. Leae RGM to run his own party pachigandanga in his own way. Itsitsi dzei tsvimborume kubisa mwana wemvana madzihwa. Manje wadzva mukomana!
Idiot! You are the one who decided the vote! Tsvsngirai was a few seats shy to be president because you got those seats. If it was not because of you duzvi tingadai tiri pane I we nyaya so. My hamza wamai!
@munya: you cant get it more correct than that. When did this Makoni buffoon recognize Mugabe’s incompetence; anyway? We all thought by being prefixed ‘Dr’ he could be a man of 2 least average intelligence. For all we know all Zimbos of average intelligence and above recognized Mugabe’s incompetence as far back as mid 1980’s. (Those who doubt this assertion, just as any example of those direct indicators, need to check when University of Zim student politics become more openly about the ‘national’ bread & butter issues and mismanagement of the economy by zanu pf – Makoni included – & not just about student grants and pay-out delays.) Yet come 2008 Makoni was still stuck with Mugabe, he had not recognized how incompetent Mugabe is even at that very late hour. This is proven by the fact that, Makoni & his erstwhile protege Dabengwa openly boasted, soon after 2008 elections, that their MKD project was to prevent an obvious Mugabe defeat by Tsvangison – not that they had any hope of winning themselves. So, by then in Makoni’s eyes Mugabe was very competent and deserved to continue on the throne; so when did Makoni notice & realize Mugabe’s incompetence??
Mapingu
It took 19 years of gukurahundi rule before Shona voters realised gukurahundism was bad for the country. You are equally culpable – leave Makoni alone!!
@Phunyukabemphethe: This Gukurahundi which tribal fanatics find pleasure in misrepresenting was not perpetrated by the “Shonas” per se as most tribal charlatans like you would like the less informed and gullible ones to believe. Truth is was perpetrated by the army under the directive of Mugabe and his senior ministers and some military commanders. And any sane person would not believe your rubbish that there were no other tribes in the army & cabinet that time, except Shonas. Only people like you can believe their own lies to that extent. fact is majority of Zimbos are not tribal drunkards, and they know the facts. For instance one of the architects of Gukurahundi was Enos Mozombi Nkala who was actually Home Affairs & Defence Minister by the time of Gukurahundi fiasco. In you silly mind, Enos Nkala is Shona because he was at the think of things as a senior minister & more so minister of Defence & Home Affairs (controlling both police & army). We also have names of Ndebele people who where holding key positions in police & army.
So, fact is Gukurahundi was never perpetrated by Shonas – it was by the government and brain-washed state agencies – soldiers, police & security agents. Nothing to do with majority of the people. So stop this rubbish of yours your tribal zombie.
Munya
Its his democratic right to participate. We owe nothing to Tswangirayi. Unlike you, intelligent people are not Tswangirayi’s poodles!!
Makoni is someone many expected great things from. But his career has been marked by being outwitted by his opponents and/or betrayal by his protagonists at key moments.
Before Independence, he was outmaneuvered from representing ZANU in the UK for what was considered the lesser post of representing Western Europe. At Independence he was about the youngest Minister in Mugabe’s cabinet (Industry and Energy) but was shunted to SADC when Mugabe began sidelining those he saw as future threats to his president-for-life plans. Most recently Makoni was tricked/pushed out of the party after some in that party began proposing him as a possible successor and ZANU PF presidential candidate for the 2008 elections. Those in ZANU PF who had said they would follow him into his new party disappeared by daylight like morning dew.
At this point, it really does seem he has missed his bus one too many times. A pity since he has always seemed intelligent, articulate and well meaning. Perhaps this is not completely a bad reflection on him since his opponents have often beaten him honourably but by deviousness, ruthlessness and cunning.
And as we have seen with similarly sidestepped MDCs, it will require effective counter-strategies against such properties to succeed in wrestling power from those that wield it in our beloved country.
that should be – not honourably
Nothing wrong with either Simbi or Tsangi.Zany is the devil incarcerate who has convinced the majority welfare minded voting populace that getting handouts from commercial farmers and corporate entities is the Zany way to empowerment with Zany at the helm who promised 2 mil jobs etc but has yet to deliver 1 job.That dear citizens is DEMOCRACY so dont complain of the lot u hav found yourself in but be grateful for your poverty under grandpa.U GOT WHAT U VOTED FOR FAIR AND SQUARE THE MAJORITY.Simbi,Tsangi and any other opponent is doomed to failure because of a greedy free loading populace.The joy ride has come to an end;
Simba Makoni must 1st apologise to Zim people for denying Tsvangirai victory in 2008. One of his allays then, Dumiso Davengwa, has made it public that it was a deiiberate way to stop Morgan from getting an outright victory. Be careful with these Zpf people, dzinogona kuve nyoka ruviri.
Chiwoniso D
Shona voters must also apologise to us sane Zimbabweans, especially those in Mthwakazi for giving us this gukurahundi party and government in 1980; 1985 and 1990!!
Makoni is a selfish individual who doesn’t care about the country. His rants against Mugabe are far from being about the general good; its simply a matter of sour grapes. Many know the genesis of his animosity towards his erstwhile boss.
For the benefit of those who don’t know, the issue is: After Makoni & Dabengwa successfully prevent Tsvangson from beating Mugabe out-rightly in 1st round of 2008 presidential elections through their MKD project (then a Zanu pf project, of coz)they expected much bigger rewards from dear leader. It turned out that the dear leader thought otherwise. In the old man’s view, the MKD project must have taken enough votes from opposition to allow him to win election applying their traditional maths tactics, of coz. Unfortunately, the MKD project did not achieve that, and Tsvangi still won. So zanu pf had to engage more open & more rigorous maths (including a prolonged non-release & re-engineering of election results) & still only managed to marginally prevent Tsvangi from getting the required minimum to assume the throne. So in Mugabe’s eyes MKD was a failure (and to him Makoni & Dabengwa failed him as he had assigned the two to drive the deceitful project). So the two guyz didn’t really get the huge pat on the back they had anticipated from dear leader. This really explains Makoni’s rants & nothing else.
Mapingu
Virtually every Shona is culpable for the mess that is Zimbabwe today, except those born after 1990. So stop this holier than thou attitude – some of you people have such short memories!!
Illogical. Mugabe lost to Tsvangirai in 3 elections. He lost outright in 2008. There was no ‘splitting’ of the vote, just rigging, just as in 2013. And to imagine Dabengwa doing Mugabe a favour so as to prolong Mugabe’s reign requires a wide if not wild stretch of the imagination.
To castigate Simba Makoni for jis past wrongs is to fall into the same trap of using history as a basis for denying and stifling change. Politics is dynamic. Lets judge this man on the basis of what he is saying now.
Too little too late
Rhodesia was banned from importing oil, yet the pumps never ran dry, even one day.
Zim has had no bans imposed on oil imports, yet petrol pumps had no fuel in 2008. Private citizens resorted to buying fuel from neighbouring countries.
uribhobhi makoni, wakuzvion nhasi tseke tseke uri mwana wa uncle bob
No Apolgy Due:
There was a rebellion against a popularly elected govt- ‘UN supervised 1980 elections’: so anyone who felt compelled to rebel compelled the govt to defend the nation. If another group rises up in the same way again they will face the same or a more robust response!
Solution: lets all work together as Zimbos- we have a nation and a govt and a president and opposition parties- they all have a right to live in peace and tranquility- as long as they discharge their duty to abide by the laws of the nation.
No apology to law-breakers or those fueling anti-govt rebellion.