Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Patrick Zhuwao’s attack on fellow Cabinet ministers is misinformed, misguided and smacks of hypocrisy to say the least.
NewsDay Comment
His ill advised attempts to rubbish Finance and Economic Development minister Patrick Chinamasa all, but confirmed perceptions that the centre in Zanu PF no longer holds.
We believe that President Robert Mugabe’s nephew must not abuse his close proximity to the Zanu PF leader to attack fellow government officials for political expediency. Ironically Mugabe also attacked Chinamasa when he proposed a cut to the bloated civil service salary bill and curbs on government officials’ foreign jaunts.
According to Zhuwao, Chinamasa’s attempts to trim the bloated civil service will get the Finance minister fired. No doubt, Zhuwao is speaking for Mugabe giving the impression that politics is what matters to them more than the economy.
It is clear that if the youthful Zhuwao represents the future of Zanu PF, then Zimbabweans are in for a long night of misery.
Evidently, those attacked by Zhuwao — in particular Chinamasa — could have the country’s best interests at heart. As the country’s Treasurer, Chinamasa is obviously alive to the country’s financial crisis and therefore trying to tighten the bolts and ensure whatever little available financial resources are correctly used.
With this mentality among some of Mugabe’s adherents, Zimbabwe is in desperate need of leaders with people’s interests at heart. The country is bleeding, and from an economic perspective, one of the ways to stem that blood tide is by cutting down the bloated civil service which is a major drain to the fiscus.
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It is amazing that such simple reasoning could escape Zhuwao who presents himself as a rational academic of sorts. It is understandable when one considers the traditional nature of Zimbabwean politics. In Zanu PF’s utopia, nothing is sacred; nothing else except fulfilling Mugabe’s desire for power. It is sad that Zanu PF officials can sacrifice the economy and the populace at the altar of political expediency.
It is obvious that Zhuwao is banking on the youths for whatever “higher” political position he may be eyeing and it would appear that like his uncle, Mugabe, he will probably do whatever it takes, at whatever cost to ensure that he lands that coveted position. It is tragic because Zimbabwe deserves better.
The country’s leadership has globetrotted, from the West to the East, begging bowl in hand, but nothing has come their way. It has been made clear to them, both by their “enemies” in the West and the “all-weather-friends” in the East, that put in place pragmatic and sensible economic policies.
Without this, we all know Zimbabwe may as well remain stuck in this economic rut. Foreign direct investment is the answer this nation needs to inject life into the comatose economy. This appears to be anathema to Zhuwao despite recent assurances by both Mugabe and Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa to foreign investors that the controversial indigenisation policy would be reconsidered.
Yet, Zhuwao is more worried that a handful of Zanu PF functionaries and foot soldiers — would lose their jobs. What about the rest of Zimbabweans who have had to endure the pain of economic and social decay under his uncle’s leadership? The legacy he seeks to perpetuate may spell doom for his political future in the medium to long term.
What Zhuwao does not realise is that his actions are a sure way to decimate his uncle’s political legacy that is if he still has any. But Zimbabweans may therefore take comfort that divisions within Zanu PF point to the fact that the party is nearer than ever to imploding. A broken Zanu PF is an injured political animal limping to its death.
Zhuwao must be warned and must not take Zimbabweans for granted.
