“PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday held his inaugural meeting with
the Presidential Advisory Council (Pac) recently appointed to assist in
bringing in new ideas, policy proposals and solutions to Zimbabwe's myriad of
problems,” wrote Dumisani Muleya, Editor of Zimbabwe Independent.
“Objectively speaking, the initiative is a breath of fresh air. It shows
Mnangagwa is willing to listen. Well, on paper at least.
“Besides, it has distinguished people of great character, integrity and
reputation. They are generally experts in their own fields. Each member should
add to Pac's diversity of experience as a collective body.”
Editor Muleya, you have clearly missed a number of key points here:
1.
“Mnangagwa is willing to listen!” Are
you mad! If Mnangagwa was willing to listen then why has denied the people of Zimbabwe
the basic human right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country?
Mnangagwa has been at the heart of Zanu PF’s vote rigging and brutal oppression
for the last 38 years.
2.
The appointment of this 24 member PAC
will not help find “solutions to Zimbabwe’s myriad of problems” because
Mnangagwa has already been given sound advice on such key areas as ending
corruption, holding free and fair elections to end Zimbabwe’s pariah state
status, etc. He has ignored all such advice because following it risked Zanu PF
losing its strangle hold on power.
3.
The appointment of PAC is in keeping
with the time honoured Zanu PF mentality of substituting quality with quantity.
Whilst Ian Smith had governed the country with less than 20 ministers and
deputy ministers. At one point, Mugabe had 1 President, 2 VPs, 1 PM, 2 Deputy
Prime Ministers, 30 Ministers, 10 Deputy Ministers, 10 Provisional Governors,
God knows how many Executive Mayors, etc., etc. Mnangagwa has reduced the size
of his cabinet but only by putting most of Mugabe’s cabinet members, permanent
secretaries and other senior civil servants out to pasture on full cabinet
member salary and allowance. This PAC is but a second tier cabinet in all but
name!
4.
Each and everyone of the PAC member
is an expert in their field but that does not necessarily mean they all have
integrity too! Just because they are rich it is does not necessarily mean they
are honest especially in a country were corruption is rampant. Each and
everyone of these members know that Mnangagwa rigged last year’s elections and
yet they all pretend the elections were free, fair and credible. Worse still,
they know that as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt and
vote rigging thugs there is no chance of the country achieving any meaningful
economic recovery. They have agreed to be appointed PAC members because they
are paid well in cash and prestige to be a members; there in nothing honourable
in that!
“Nonetheless, PAC deserves a chance. Granted it must be scrutinised and
criticised, but given a try. Its members seem ready to hit the ground running,
though they ought to understand very well they have a mountain to climb. They
can make a difference, but then again it won't be easy. It's like trying to
climb Mount Everest,” continue Muleya.
“Perhaps the PAC can also make its own piece of history.”
Nonsense, there is no climbing Mount Everest mystic or challenge about
understanding corruption and holding free, fair and credible elections and
understanding why they are the basis of good and competent governance and
economic success. It is madness to argue that Zanu PF will finally deliver
economic prosperity after 38 years of delivering poverty!
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over
again and expecting different results,” said the great Physicist Albert
Einstein.
Zanu PF has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that the party is
corrupt, incompetent and murderous thugs. The party rigged last July’s
elections and therefore have no democratic mandate to govern. It is Zanu PF we
a giving another chance to extend its corrupt and tyrannical rule on the feeble
excuse that a corrupt and compromised PAC will achieve the miracle of the
economic recovery regardless of the of the inherent wastefulness and
inconsistencies of the pariah state.
We can differ on some things but there are others that are so basic and
fundamental, it is pointless to argue. As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah
state ruled by corrupt and vote rigging thugs there is no hope of any
meaningful economic recovery much less achieving “Vision 2030 Upper Middle
Income” status that Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube keeps wittering about!
Zimbabwe is subject to the same laws of thermodynamics, of economics, etc. as
everyone else.
We should concentrate on dismantling the Zanu PF dictatorship and laying
a strong foundation for free and democratic Zimbabwe and stop day-dreaming PAC
delivering economic recovery whilst Zimbabwe remains a pariah state.
Those who continue to blame the sanctions and not corruption for the country's economic problems are Zanu PF loyalist who do not care about the truth. The link between free, fair and credible elections and the sanction is there for all to see and as long as Zanu PF continues to rig elections the sanctions must stay!
ReplyDeleteIt is all very well Mutambara talking tough now and yet whilst he was in the GNU he and his fellow MDC leaders failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. Zimbabwe is fast becoming a nation of individuals with big mouths who say a lot but do very little.
ReplyDeleteFor years the whole world got used to the cheap entertainment from Robert Mugabe bad mouthing everybody to give the impression he was taking on the world's bullies. In reality was was doing no such thing, of course. By picking a fight with the West over some trivial matter he then use that as cover against the West raising they concern over something more substantive.
Arthur Mutambara is just like Mugabe, he is full of hot air and will never accomplish much of substance!
@ Den Moyo
ReplyDelete“Then Ncube went on a tirade like a small kid in a candy store describing the vast riches found in Zimbabwe. He talked of how the entire country was laying on gold reserves, diamonds all over with kids using them as stones to hit birds, chrome, lithium, etc. Then in that same statement, he denied that corruption was rife in the country, stating that corruption was being overplayed as the government was poor and there was nothing to steal in the country. Really, after all that hullabaloo about how rich the country was?” you said.
Ncube has introduced the 2% electronic transaction tax to target the country’s ¾ of the population in the informal sector, the street vendors, living on US$ 30 per month because they were not paying income tax. He has done nothing to recovery the $15 billion looted from the diamond industry alone. Of course, he knows that corruption is rampant; he has seen Chiwenga, Mnangagwa and the other Zanu PF bigwigs’ palatial mansions, fleet of posh cars, their extravagant life styles, etc. He is smart enough to know there are some things that are not to be talked about corruption in high places is one of the taboo subjects!
“Our advice to Mthuli Ncube is to stop wasting our precious time until he is ready to treat us as equals and listen to what we have to say than talk down to us as though we are ignorant.”
That was very sound advice, it is a pity you are talking to a brick wall. Professor Mthuli Ncube is one of many Zimbabwe professionals who know that Mnangagwa rigged the elections but will pretend the elections were free, fair and credible because he wants to keep his cushy job. Zimbabwe has more than its fair share of the Judas Iscariot of this world, they will sell their own mothers for a price and be proud they had a mother to sell.
As long as we have sell-outs like Ncube willing to prop up tyrannical regimes it is going to be a real struggle to end this Zanu PF dictatorship, now that it has taken root!