Zhuwao’s ’no to FDI’ remarks condemned

via Zhuwao’s ’no to FDI’ remarks condemned – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 5, 2015

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao has come under fire from opposition parties and analysts following his recent attack on fellow Cabinet ministers advocating for foreign direct investment (FDI) and civil servants job cuts.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

The analysts described his negative stance on FDIs as counter-productive, devoid of any economic sense and just meant to please ruling party supporters.

Zhuwao, who is Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister recently shot down proposals put up by his Cabinet colleagues to reduce the bloated government’s wage bill and jumpstart the economy. He vowed to block any attempts to retrench thousands of constituency youth officers under his ministry.

Analyst Gladys Hlatywayo said it was insensitive for government ministers to do things just to please their party supporters.

“The basis of his argument is wrong. If you make advice on public policy for the sake of promoting the people under you, then there is a problem,” Hlatywayo said, adding that there was need for ministers to draw a line between their party and government roles.

She said the majority of the youth officers had nothing to do, except walking around terrorising other civil servants like teachers.

“If you look at what is happening these people (ministers) are just serving their party and not the country,” she added.

MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said: “This is a classic example of the policy discord within the Zanu PF regime. Patrick Chinamasa (Finance minister) says that government will drastically cut down the civil service and on the other hand, his Cabinet colleague, Zhuwao, says the exact opposite.

“How then can such a confused government be trusted to turn around the fortunes of the comatose economy? It’s clear that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. That’s a real tragedy because what it effectively means is that there is utter and complete bureaucratic paralysis within the beleaguered and faction-ridden Zanu PF regime.”

National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) spokesperson Madock Chivasa described Zhuwao’s comments as laughable.

“As NCA, we believe saying that we don’t need any FDI is irresponsible and laughable utterances by the minister who is obviously still confused about his role in government,” Chivasa said.

“We believe that any developing country like Zimbabwe cannot do away with FDI.”

People First spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said such inconsistencies created confusion especially on investors.

“They need to create a conducive investment environment. It’s a pity that we have inconsistencies on policy implementation where Chinamasa will say this and someone else says another. That will confuse investors,” Gumbo said.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Jacob Mafume said: “Zhuwao must understand that his appointment is not on merit, but it is the epitome of Zanu PF nepotism and patronage.

“We as PDP, are clear that this country needs FDI, billions of it if Zimbabweans are to get anything.”