When President Mnangagwa finally took over the presidency, after 37 years of waiting in the wings, he was determined not to repeat the disastrous mistakes of his former boss the deposed dictator Robert Mugabe. He never doubted, for a second, that he would have the country back on firm economic recovery and prosperity. He expected Zimbabwe, under his leadership, to have the fairytale ending of “they all live happily ever after!”
If wishes were horses beggars would ride!
President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” has had no takers. The flood of investors “to take advantage of the many golden business opportunities”, as he argued; have never materialised. Zimbabwe’s worsening economic situation, shortage of foreign currency, food, fuel, medicine, etc. is a manifestation of economic meltdown and not the recovery he expected.
If anyone had told Mnangagwa that a year into his presidency he would still be talking about worsening economic hardship for the ordinary people; he would have laughed in disbelief! Yet that is what he is doing now!
"Government is fully aware of the machinations by some detractors and economic opportunists who are bent on creating despondency in the country through the manipulation of the foreign currency market and creating artificial shortages," Mnangagwa told the party’s Central Committee meeting.
"This has caused untold suffering to our people. As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.
"The lifting of the ban of Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 is one such move meant to provide interim relief to our people. My Government will neither let people go without basic commodities, nor allow the willy-nilly depletion of incomes by a few rogue businesses and persons.”
His original solution to attract investors was the right solution because it was going to inject the much needed new investment and cash to kick start the comatose economy. The investors did not come because they were not easily fooled by the regime’s claim of a “new democratic Zimbabwe”.
When President Mnangagwa failed to keep his promise to hold free, fair and credible elections; he confirmed that Zimbabwe was indeed still a pariah state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. Investors do not do business in pariah states, period!
The so-called “solutions” this Zanu PF regime now been pursuing have made the bad economic situation worse. The new 2% tax will hit the poorest of the poor hard.
Turning those trading in currency into criminals will not solve Zimbabwe’s foreign currency shortage nor will reintroducing price controls guarantee supply of goods at low prices!
President Mnangagwa is a corrupt, incompetent and vote rigging thug; “Mugabe mark 2”, as British MP Kate Hoey rightly said. As much as he has wanted to do things differently; the incompetence, corruption, vote rigging, etc. - the base premedical thug characteristics in him - have come to the fore. How can there be meaningful economic recovery with the price controls, corruption, the country still a pariah state, etc.?
The people are not crying for Zanu PF “to provide solutions” the country’s many teething problems. The people accept that Zanu PF has failed to provide solutions and are crying for the right to elect someone else who can. After 38 years of Zanu PF rule, things have got worse and worse; the party’s record of failure is beyond dispute.
The people of Zimbabwe have suffered a great deal under this incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship and all they want from the regime is for it to step down. The regime rigged the recent elections, it is illegitimate and it should step down to allow the nation to move on.
“As a listening President, I have heard their cries and my Government is determined to provide solutions to these perennial challenges.” You are clearly not listening; the people are crying for you and your junta to go and not for you to keep imposing yourself and your ill-advised solutions on the nation. Mr President, you and your vote rigging junta are the nation’s greatest perennial problem and the solution is for you to step down right now!
By Jeff Kurai Chakanyuka
No comments:
Post a Comment