CONVERSATIONS WITH MAWERE
"Invest in the change you want to see"
- Mutumwa Mawere -
Zimbabwe 2008: The election whose outcome is predetermined
Posted on February 03rd 2008
A central bank should ordinarily represent a repository of trust and integrity but the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has been reduced to a theatre of games and machinations while the nation is at its knees groping for solutions and desperate for direction and answers.
In line with his belief that ZANU-PF will win the election, Gono said that the post election programme will focus on, among other things, the removal of pricing distortions in such areas as fuel, agricultural inputs and outputs, multiple interest and exchange rates, electricity, water and other municipal and parastatal service charges. Does this not sound familiar? Is it not the same Gono who said failure is not an option? Why would citizens of Zimbabwe place their trust on him after the elections? If these policies makes sense now what defer them to the post election period? Is it the change that Zimbabweans should vote for on 29 March 2008?He also said that the government will also look at the subsidies policy with a view to scrapping untargeted general subsidies, amend investment laws, and boost productivity through incentives for key sectors - agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing.The Governor who is increasingly assuming the role of an unelected President had no kind words for Government ministries, local authorities, parastatals and some sections of the business community which he alleged have over the years failed to take heed of policy advice and warnings from the central bank as if to suggest that these state institutions are now accountable to him. Under what constitutional order would a Governor of the central bank make such statements? It can only be when a democratic order has been irretrievably broken. It is important for citizens to record all the words of Gono because they help in exposing the extent of the breakdown of the rule of law and the collapse of the state. As is now characteristic of Gono, he spared no effort to lament the impact of the sanctions imposed on the country by the European Union, the United States and their allies, saying there were "considerable attempts being made to dismantle Zimbabwe's economic fabric through a combination of armory". He was also reported to have said: "The subtle nature of some of these sanctions has regrettably escaped the eyes of some stakeholders here at home and many others in the world community who, instead, are interpreting Zimbabwe's current difficulties as a product of domestic policy imbalances.''
With respect to the impact of sanctions, he was of the view that the freezing of donor-supported programmes, withdrawal of external lines of credit and balance of payments support and the denial of Zimbabwe's access to the Global Fund for health-related programmes had combined to create the economic crisis.He then attempted to justify his questionable and possibly corrupt quasi fiscal activities by saying that the RBZ had been forced to carry extraordinary responsibilities outside its core business to ensure that the country was fed and had fuel, among other things.Gono was supposed to appear before the Budget and Finance Committee of the recently dissolved parliament to expose the so-called cash barons but it was reported that the meeting was now postponed and will only take place after the elections by which time there may be new players in parliament.
Gono is firmly in control of economic actors who are reduced to beggars for this or that dispensation on the false premise that the RBZ has an existence outside the control of citizens. While it is universally accepted that no state can exist on its own it is clearly evident in the Gono construction that with or without elections ZANU-PF will be in charge and by deductive logic he will be in power as well to continue to play tactical games with people's resources and steal their future through manipulative actions.
E-mail this story to a friendComments
Now the questiom is Makoni says remains Zanu, so how do we trust this guy? or does this mean voting him is as good as voting Zanu?What changes is he going to bring with him? Yes it will be good to vote for Makoni but for what? what does he stand for?
I salute you and i hope you give Makoni some of those millions you have to campaign with. Are you doing anything to help Zimbos struggling in SA. My father is the late Brig Chitekedza maybe you knew him.
I salute you Mtumwa for a well thought out writen paper on Simba's candidacy. Zimbabwe needs to move away from polarization that has been proclaimed by ZANU PF and fortified by MDC. Makoni brings a lot of hope for the suffering masses. It is not party politics that will deliver us from misery... It is principled people like Simba who see beyond party politics. Zimbabwe needs change now. I passionately appeal to all Zimbos at home to go and vote for Simba on March 29...Please, Please siyalincenga bantu bakithi. Please!
If there is guarantee that my vote is going to be counted and acknowledged and the whole voting process is going to be transparent, bearing in mind that I am in the dispora, I would not hesitate to support anyone (financially or otherwise) who is going to prove their leadership will revive the Zimbabwe I so much love. I have no doubt that change of leadership is the first step to progress but I must say that Makoni should prove his agenda if he is going to get many rallying behind him.
I agree with you that Simba's candidancy offers a real hope for change in Zimbabwe's politics and he deserves the support of all progressive Zimbabweans. Since Simba has no established party at the moment, there is a need to create a fund to support his campaign, to which Zimbabweans from all over the world can make their contributions. To Simba, I would like to say we are fully behind you.
Is there any way we can have makoni's complete action plan, it will be unwisde to just pour bilions of money on a project which is not yet been defined as it is now, if it true I am also behind him. But what kind of zimbabwe Makoni is thing to bring? yes we want change but what change will Makoni give us?
I admire and respect the courageous Simba Makoni who dares face Mugabe when so many have hid their faces while shamefully following the tune of the ruling party against their own principles and the will of the people.One of the big questions now is how will people outside the country lend a finacial hand to Simba's campaign? isn't there a law in the country to stop the sponsoring of political candidates, from outside Zimbabwe?
Simba makoni is a widely respected leader and an experienced administrator.He certainly deserves a chance to lead Zimbabwe.However my only problem with him is the fact that he refused to accept the call for change when things really went wrong in our motherland. When the people were in desperate need for visionaries Simba did not offer himself to help us.Rather he was busy enjoying under the ZANU PF patronage.Why now?Is this another devide and rule strategy put in place by ZANU PF to desolve the opposition's urban stronghold?If he is so serious about unseating Mugabe.If he is so keen to serve our country then why not throw his weight behind Tsvangirai who has fought aganist this draconian regime for the past 9years.I respect your view on Makoni ,Mr Mawere but I still do not that Simba is genuine.Makoni's move will do more harm to the MDC than to ZANU PF,especially with Mutambara by his side.
Mutumwa Dziva Mawere (born January 11, 1960 in Bindura, Zimbabwe), is an African business executive, pioneer, financier, banker and entrepreneur best known as the founder and Chairman of Africa Resources Limited ("ARL"). He is known for having built one of the most powerful and influential corporations in Zimbabwe's history
what we need in zimbabwe is not outward figures,we need leadership that is not tainted with the status qou,we need leadership that is balanced:economically and politically.we just simple leaders who have a genuine desire to effect change not just names.at the end of the line its not about the leaders but moreso about the least zimbabwean national in the rural areas.i'm not particularly hypd by the Simba Makoni factor at least until he starts delivering for the people of Zimbabwe.even you Mr Mawere,you can lead the country if you have got people at heart,leadership traits will only facilitate what is gripped by you heart and mind.we will wait and see what will transpire in the next month or so!!!!