President Robert Mugabe’s rant on Friday targeted at Chinese nationals living in Zimbabwe that he accused of contributing to the deepening cash crisis in the country was typical of a leader who never takes responsibility for his failed policies.
THE STANDARD COMMENT
Mugabe told the Zanu PF national consultative assembly meeting that Chinese expatriates and businesspeople do not bank their money, choosing to repatriate the United States dollars they earn in Zimbabwe to China.
He made the comments in reference to the cash shortages that have seen a number of banks failing to give clients their money on demand.
The government’s response to the crisis has been characterised by more controls and confused rhetoric that has only added fuel to the raging fire.
There is consensus among economists that the currency crisis stems from the economic collapse that has seen Zimbabwe relying more on imports.
The country imports everything from toothpicks to mineral water because of Mugabe’s disastrous leadership.
However, the president has been good at shifting blame to other people and as usual, he wants us to believe that the source of the problem lies elsewhere when it is common cause that his government has failed.
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For years now, Mugabe has blamed anything that has gone bad for Zimbabwe on western countries he accuses of plotting to unseat him.
Mugabe isolated Zimbabwe from the international community when the world started questioning his human rights record at the turn of the millennium.
The frosty relations with the west gave him a convenient scapegoat for his leadership failure, but now that people have seen through his deceit, he is shifting the blame to Chinese nationals.
He courted China, among other countries in his so-called “Look East” policy and this is probably one of the reasons his regime is still standing.
Therefore, the attacks against the Chinese nationals did not come as a shock but would certainly worry his so-called all-weather friends.
Mugabe also accused Chinese nationals of abusing Zimbabwean women and demanded that they should bring their wives when they come to work in the country.
The statements were full of bigotry and were unbecoming of a president. But that is a story for another day.
Zimbabweans are waiting for solutions to the cash crisis, which they have endured for almost six months now and are sick and tired of Mugabe’s blame games.
The previous day Mugabe had claimed that bond notes were the panacea to the cash problems despite clear indications that ordinary people are not ready for a local currency because they are still traumatised by the demise of the Zimbabwe dollar a few years ago.
What Zimbabwe needs are sound economic policies that will spur production and help curb the glut of imports.
The government also has to come up with consistent economic policies that will restore confidence among investors who at the moment are not keen to put their money in Zimbabwe.
Insulting investors like Mugabe did on Friday would never solve our problems.
Mugabe and his government are to blame for the cash shortages and no amount of scapegoating would diminish their culpability.
