The Flip Side with Kuthula Matshazi
The interim review statement of the monetary policy delivered by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Dr. Gideon Gono dismays as it reveals scheming against the economy, profiteering, huge appetite for unnecessary luxury goods, corruption and smuggling.
Gono reveals a picture of a nation with many of us setting the country on a path of destruction. In the midst of an economic crisis, many of us still fail to realise that no one but ourselves can salvage the mess in which we are entrenched. Gono tells us of a nation where some of its citizens fail to understand their right to receive assistance from the government and in turn reciprocate that civic entitlement with fulfilling their obligations as citizens towards the state.
As Zimbabweans, we ought to stop crying and blaming entirely the next person for our predicament but need to realise that we have rights and responsibilities towards our country to make the situation better for the greater number of our fellow citizens. It is not in the interest of Gono, Zanu PF or the Movement for Democratic Change, but in the interest of all Zimbabweans. A stable environment would be conducive as a basis for businesses to thrive and also for the people to benefit. According to Gono’s report, Zimbabwe should not be having as acute a problem of foreign currency because we have such a rich mineral resource base.
Besides the diminished sense of responsibility by some Zimbabweans, it is clear from Gono’s report that we have serious policy challenges and some very unscrupulous Zimbabweans in different sectors of the economy who are making the situation worse. It is self-defeating to engage in clandestine business deals because then we do not build anything that will sustain. Instead of engaging in our destructive behaviour, we might want, for instance, the mining sector to work efficiently – the private sector working with government - then we are going to earn foreign currency, which is critical to stimulating the economy and providing employment.
Of course, I am supposing that we achieve such efficiency in all the different sectors of the economy. For instance, if the black market is eliminated, greed is tempered, efficiency is achieved in agriculture and the sanctions advocates call for their withdrawal. This envisaged scenario is, of course, determinant on a number of issues especially the political environment. However, the current political environment can easily be sorted out when we all set ourselves in pursuing a pro-Zimbabwe agenda and stop sabotage acts.
Gono praises some of the several policy responses of the government such as the imposition of a foreign currency based vehicle importation duty, but also laments the slow pace with which some of the policies are implemented such as the need to take decisive action to stop diamond smuggling in Marange. Gono has also castigated the tepid approach to exploiting methane gas, which we have in huge amounts. This is self-defeat.
Our challenge is to be more flexible and action oriented in policy implementation if we hope to be successful in turning around the economy. We must keep in mind that there are huge chances of failing to turn around the economy if we, as Zimbabweans are not going to be as robust and responsible as the situation requires. Instead, we shall, by omission, abet the corrupt among us to enrich themselves and the saboteurs to justify their treasonous behaviour against the nation.
By implication, if the government fails to respond swiftly to the critical challenges, especially policy implementation, then they are failing to perform their duty and must be held to account. No single ministry must be found wanting in the performance of its duty as this is not a business as usual situation. Gono suggests that some of the ministries are dragging their feet in implementing critical policies.
In a thinly veiled attack on the International Monetary Fund, Gono implies that, once again this disastrous financial institution has been partly responsible for making us adopt disastrous policies. I say partly because there are basically three culprits. The other two are our local so-called experts who subscribe to the conventional classical economics, which does not entirely work in the situation we find ourselves. The government on its own is wrong as well for accepting the disastrous advice of the IMF.
First, way back in 1986, they are the very people who destroyed our strategic grain reserves and then followed our social services in the 1990s when they arm twisted us to implement the economic structural adjustment programme. In their Article IV Consultations in 2006 they pressurised government in collaboration with their Zimbabwean ideological chums, not to invest in public programmes, one being the irrigation rehabilitation programme.
Gono says “We estimate that…if we had completed irrigation rehabilitation on 500 000 hectares only, at an average yield of 4 tonnes per hectare, this country would have been self-sufficient on food provision”. It is incomprehensible why the government chose to submit to these people who have a distinguished disastrous track record. Now 2007 is a drought year and we have to expend the stretched resources to buy food. It is the Zimbabweans and not the IMF who will bear the brunt.
As Zimbabweans, we need to come together and work for the good of the country. It is far-fetched fantasy that we shall ever turn around the economy if we continue to behave so recklessly only because we are in temporary positions of advantage or profiteering. The future of our children is more important than these immediate selfish gratifications.
5 comments:
"Iwe neni tine basa" (You and me have a duty towards our country) is a slogan we used during the war of liberation. Farai Magorira, a guerilla political commissar at Berejena Mission in 1976 was prophetic about the war of economic liberation. "It is going to be much harder and treacherous than the war of political liberation" he said. Today we need dedicated cadres who maintain the goals of the liberation struggle in mind in whatever they do. Otherwise we will lose this war and Gono is very forthright in pointing out the vices. I entirely agree with you.
As rightly pointed out, Zimbabwe's problem is a "diminished sense of responsibility". What we have to do is find the root causes of this phenomenon and find ways of holistically dealing with it. As long as some people continue to benefit from our ludicrous economic condition then the sense of responsibility is going to continue diminishing.
Farai, that's very true that the economic war is "harder and treacherous than the war of political liberation". I think the current state of the world bears testimony to this. So much poverty is a result of this economic mess that we are fighting. But as you rightly say we shall not tire.
You are quite right Mabasa to talk about the need for us to identify the causes and then map out ways of dealing with the issue. But I think many of us know exactly the problem and also have the solutions. Reading through Gono's report it is clear that its not more of the policies that are failing but some Zimbabweans who are irresponsible.
So from your suggestion, I think what we need is a radical action such as the one taken during the land reform. We need to bring to account these irresponsible paople by hook and crook...these are not normal times!
If these transgressors are not playing by the rules, why would they expect us to treat them by the rules? Its a dog eat dog situation.
Unusual circumstances require unusual responses.
The situation happening in Zimbabwe is very funny. Gono is pleading for responsibility from the people instead of the people demanding responsibility from the government. In the Zimbabwe scenario, the people are actually actively helping to kill the economy.
Also, I remember when we argued against the disastrous ceasation of investment in social services as recommended by the disastrous IMF we were taken as crazy. Now here we are faced with a drought that threatens to take away many lives.
I think we need to use common sense for some of these simple things. Now if we cannot grasp a simple thing as that then surely our country is grave danger.
Gono also talks about people who challenge the issue of farm subsidies. Its either these people are totally ignorant or are economic saboteurs. What novel idea that has failed to be generated anywhere else in the world will beat the US$1billion/day farm subsidies the dominant and Western farmers who operate globally enjoy? I would suppose that people who talk about an issue would have had prior knowledge on the subject as opposed to just a knee jerk reaction. Now if that's the case then these people simply want to work against the economy. If its ignorance, then they need to understand the issues first before dipping their hands in subjects they are ignorant about. Its not bad to be ignorant, but its bad to pretend one knows when they don't. And its even worse for people to refuse to be informed and instead choose to operate from the dark or with little knowledge.
The level of economic debate that goes around is really unfortunate.
Bhekuzulu
Black Markets arise once there are controls. It is the Zimbabwean government always blaming somebody now they want to blame Zimbabweans. They should look at their own actions, hey, does ZANU not accept that the buck ends with them.
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