The year 2016 marks 18 years of economic decline in Zimbabwe brought about by the disastrous rule of Zanu PF. Zimbabweans across all sectors are generally despondent.
GUEST OPINION BY ELIAS MUDZURI
The poor rains have added misery onto a people who have been battered into submission by the misrule of Zanu PF. A visitor to Zimbabwe will be greeted by a people in despair as never been witnessed before in this country. At the height of hyperinflation in 2008, Zimbabweans had more hope and vibrancy than they have today. The million dollar question, is what has happened? Can this tragedy be turned around? What needs to be done?
All Zimbabweans know that Zanu PF has caused the current dire situation we find ourselves in through its misrule. Zanu PF has over and again proved incapable of steering the economy for the benefit of the citizenry. The party has proved a master in retaining power, but utilising that power for the benefit of the citizens of this country has so far been beyond its limited capacity. Like the various other promises that Zanu PF has made over the years in its manifestos, the 2,2 million jobs have failed to materialise.
Instead, the economy has lost more than 300 000 jobs while more than 75% of those still formally employed are either underpaid or are not getting salaries at all. Unemployment is above 85%.
Zanu PF apologists will point to the number of people trying to make ends meet by selling airtime and through other informal means as people who are gainfully employed. I doubt if the engineers, mathematicians, social scientists etc who are selling airtime in the streets consider themselves gainfully employed and if so, by whose standards? Vending certainly was not their dream when they were in college.
Not content with the jobs that have been lost so far, government has announced its intention to further pursue the disastrous indigenisation policy, threatening to close foreign companies.
Recently President Mugabe as a matter of fact said the country had lost $15 billion in diamond revenue.
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The figure was dropped casually as an insignificant figure and the loss explained as theft outside the control of government. To put the figure into context, government annual expenditure for the past three years has averaged $4 billion.
The missing $15 billion is enough to finance government expenditures for the next 3,75 years. If the money was to be shared equally among the citizenry, each Zimbabwean would get approximately $1 000. The missing $15 billion was not lost through some government mistake.
This was a systematic looting of state funds by the Zanu PF leadership. During the inclusive government, the MDC-T executive tried to bring transparency and accountability to the diamond sector, but its efforts were thwarted by Zanu PF and Mugabe’s executive. The misdeeds of the Zanu PF government are far too numerous to detail.
As MDC, we failed the country in 2008 by failing to defend the electoral victory that the people of Zimbabwe gave us. We went into the inclusive government in 2009 because Sadc and African Union leaders imposed it on MDC and because the people of Zimbabwe needed a break.
Indeed, MDC’s participation in the inclusive government was the only way the economy of Zimbabwe could get breathing space. MDC’s participation in government brought economic stability and growth, especially in the first two years when Zanu PF was still interested in co-operation for the benefit of the general populace.
Thereafter, Zanu PF simply decided to throw spanners into government programmes, especially those initiated by the MDC side of the government, resulting in our ministers having to work overtime trying to make government policies work for the benefit of the country.
We must admit, we made several mistakes and apologise for the mistakes we made.
Firstly, we wrongly believed we could persuade Zanu PF to put the welfare of Zimbabweans ahead of the interests of individuals. Instead, all Zanu PF was interested in was a little breathing space to sharpen its machinery.
Because of this mistake, we concentrated more on delivering economic relief to the nation instead of preparing a level playing field for the next general election. Our efforts in the Government of National Unity indeed provided some relief to Zimbabweans for the suffering that we had endured in the previous 10 years, but sadly due to Zanu PF incompetence, we couldn’t provide lasting relief.
While concentrating on alleviating the people’s suffering, we in the MDC leadership became disconnected from the people who matter the most, the electorate.
Lastly, the party has been divided by personality differences resulting in the 2013 split. MDC-T has no major ideological differences with the people who have moved away.
Indeed, our common goals are more than our differences. I’m not glossing over these differences but the truth is we should still be able to co-exist even with those differences.
Though we lost the 2013 elections because of a combination of factors, especially rigging, it is important to note that the loss was a result of collective failure. There is enough blame to pass to everybody. We the MDC leadership failed the people of Zimbabwe.
With this gloomy assessment, one can see why there is a sense of despair among Zimbabweans. Is there hope for this country? While the situation on the ground suggests that we can’t do anything to change our fortunes, the destiny of this country is in our hands.
Zimbabweans have to say enough is enough in the 2018 general elections, rigging or not. Zimbabweans must draw a line and say never again. Yes, indeed we can turn around this situation.
It is possible to have a leadership who will devote their time to uplifting the welfare of Zimbabweans instead of the current leadership which spends time trying to prove who loves their leader and his wife more than the other.
The MDC leadership must unite as a matter of urgency and with vigour so that it starts giving hope to Zimbabweans. We must start articulating our policies so that Zimbabweans can participate and own these policies and hold the leadership to account on the implementation of these policies.
Every MDC councillor, MP and leader must start accounting for the mandate that he or she has been given through a comprehensive plan of action in their respective ward or constituency.
The MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai has already called for a big tent to include all progressive democrats.
The leadership must work tirelessly to bring back into the fold democrats we lost in 2006, those we lost in 2013 and those who have recently seen the light. We cannot afford to be fractured.
Every Zimbabwean eligible to vote in 2018 must register to vote as a matter of urgency. The job to turn around Zimbabwe’s situation requires a collective effort. Everyone must play their role. There is no doubt in my mind that 2018 is the year.
Together, united, in reclaiming and rebuilding Zimbabwe towards 2018.
l Elias Mudzuri is the MP for Warren Park and a member of the MDC-T. He writes in his personal capacity.
