‘Zanu PF promises pie in the sky’

via ‘Zanu PF promises pie in the sky’ – The Zimbabwe Independent May 2, 2014 by Wongai Zhangazha

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said Zanu PF’s election promise to create 2,2 million jobs if voted into government prior to the July 2013 general elections will remain pie in the sky as companies close down and millions of people remain jobless.

Tsvangirai said this in his May Day message at commemorations held at Gwanzura Stadium in Harare yesterday. The event was held under the theme Workers Intensify the Struggle — No to Labour Market Flexibility.

“We have seen companies closing after July 31 despite Zanu PF’s pledge to create an ambitious 2,2 million jobs,” Tsvangirai told workers. “There has in fact been an intention to make sure that millions of jobs are lost than created as this government pursues reckless and insane policies such as the indigenisation policy in the current framework. As currently implemented, the policy is anti-investment and is against the spirit of ensuring that our economy ticks again.”

The MDC leader, reeling from intense internal strife, said the country is in a parlous state and there was nothing for workers to celebrate following deregistration of more than 150 companies last month.

He said 7500 workers lost their jobs when their companies failed to open after the December shutdown and 300 people are being retrenched every week due to viability challenges.

“Despite this sad situation for workers and the ordinary people, top executives in both private and public companies were recently exposed to be earning obscene perks and salaries.

Corruption by the high and mighty and the well-heeled and well-connected in the public and private sectors is the cancer at the heart of our economy but there is no effort by anyone in government to stamp it out,” said Tsvangirai.

“I have said before that we have become so good at corruption and theft as a country that we have gone beyond the mere robbery and theft of public assets and proceeds from the country’s natural resources.”

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union secretary general JaphetMoyo said workers situation was deteriorating.

“During the inclusive government things were better, the industry was working at 54% but now things are tough for workers. Over 9000 people have lost their jobs, Zanu PF programmes are not working,” he said.

“If you ask people in government about Zim Asset (Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation) some of them will say they don’t even understand it. We should take action.”

A director in the Ministry of Labour, Francis Mafuratidze, was booed off the stage without finishing reading Labour minister Nicholas Goche’s speech.