MDC-T yesterday accused Zanu PF of cheating the electorate by making false promises in its manifesto which it is now reneging.
Dumisani Sibanda,Assignments Editor
In an interview, MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said the past 100 days since the inception of the new government had shown that Zanu PF cannot live up to its promises.
He said the ruling party was using the “sanctions mantra” to cover up for its failure to deliver on its electoral promises.
“Sanctions are not the real issue as Zanu PF wants to claim,” said Mwonzora. “They are just being used as a scapegoat for poor performance.”
Zanu PF has already said it will not be able to fulfil its promise to create 2 265 000 jobs in the next five years because of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union which includes Zimbabwe’s former colonial masters Britain.
“Zanu PF is slowly trying to move away from indigenisation which it promised during the elections to a predatory State capitalism. Zanu PF cheated the people by making false promises in its manifesto. It can see that it cannot fulfill its promises.”
Addressing Western diplomats based in Zimbabwe last week, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa made a U-turn on the indigenisation programme saying the 51% local ownership concept would only apply to the mining sector while being sensitive to areas like banking and manufacturing.
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In its manifesto, Zanu PF had promised to indigenise more than 1 000 foreign-owned firms to raise income for its economic programmes.
“Zanu PF has no remedy for the problems the country is facing. The past 100 days have been a total disaster,” Mwonzora added.
He said it was ironic that Chinamasa was failing to get funds realised from the sale of diamonds to Treasury in the same manner that his predecessor Tendai Biti was struggling to get the money.
“The sale of diamonds is not transparent. There is a powerful militaristic group that is involved. The national coffers are dry as we speak that is why Zanu PF is failing to meet its election promise of paying civil servants an increment and is instead celebrating the payment of bonus which is nothing new anyway. It is government’s obligation to pay the bonuses.”
“There is no money to give civil servants the increments. The budget is not being announced because there is no money. Zanu PF has no policies to attract investment.”
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said: “We have not departed from our position as a party.
“We said we want to indigenise, empower, develop and employ and that is even the theme of our national people’s conference. We have not departed. They should wait and see.”
The Zanu PF national conference is scheduled to be held next month.
