Double Standardization of Zimbabwean Politics!

It's all talk, all baloney, a bunch of impotent lies! Most of, if not all, the policies of the Zimbabwean government have been nothing more than just a bunch of words.  One of them is the program meant to emancipate ordinary Zimbabweans and empower them economically, turns out it's just another scam. Well, they do get away with it because they are politicians who have friends in the high courts of the land, and money, the money that they have amassed by mostly illegal means while the rest of the country watched. Every one of us knows the rules they have flouted every one of them, from the times of the GMB saga, Minister Chombo's unexplained and unaccounted for wealth, farms invaded and their owners maimed or thrown out of their properties, companies taken over, women snatched by force from other men, young girls taken advantage of. Their decadence pervades the whole atmosphere. One may wonder where am I getting all this but again, that question may be answered by the one who asks because ministers and other high-flying government officials or just ZANU PF chief whips, apologists and hangers on have been on a rampage in the country they liberated. I witnessed with much pain and later ambivalence the events leading to the 2008 parliamentary and presidential elections, how the men and women took advantage of naive people and helpless youths and at some point held ransom just to march and chant their slogans. Well, the ZANU PF camp that included Comrades Mlala, Makhulumo, Gwelo, the CIOs and the rest of them displayed some of the most appalling behavior ever. First, they took for themselves the subsidized mealie-meal meant for the people and resold it at inflated prices. The same they did to cooking oil, sugar and other basics that were scarce during that period. Furthermore, the men especially took the opportunity to have their way with many young girls who for economic and safety reasons, did not mind selling themselves to the men. Young men were given beer and cigarettes  a place to stay and piled onto the back of trucks so they could go around the city campaigning for them. They were given promises that soon as the men whom they were for won, they would all get benefits such as jobs or funds to start their businesses since the country was in a heavy period of high unemployment rate and vigorous entrepreneurship. The elections came by and went by and some of these men lost while others won and the promises said were put in abeyance. Most of these young people who wasted their time now scrounge for a living, their former comrades in arms are now too comfortable to entertain them even. That aside, after a rather disputably successful land and economic redistribution programme championed by the Patriotic Front, I was mainly interested in the Indigenisation Programme which has its dictates that in every corporation operating in the country with foreign investment or interest, 51 per centum of ownership should be in the hands of a Zimbabwean and the rest belongs to the other parties that are non-Zimbabwean.

Everyone was supposed to benefit from this platform, as long as they can engage foreign investors. However, the sad reality of the matter is, just like anything else meant to benefit the people, the greedy politicians hijacked the programme and set off to make money out of it. The rest of us, well we might as well settle for crumbles, but not for long.

 Talk of the guy who was nabbed in flagrante delicto, Savior Kasukuwere whose shady dealings with Zimplats have raised loads of questions in addition to those that have been raised already. Many people may have differing opinions to the issue of Gideon Gono and Munyaradzi Kereke who exposed the reserve bank's governor's corrupt dealings at the central bank.

The Indigenous policy was a very noble idea for the people with companies registered and in compliance with the laws of the country with regards to ethical operations. It was open to all people in the country, young entrepreneurs and old ones alike. Just like the land redistribution program, it is greatly flawed. Whether Kasukuwere understands the meaning of indigenisation or he just plainly refuses to acknowledge the existence of people's privileges because it is 'his time' is baffling to me. In plain sight, the corrupt government officials keep hiding their deeds. Their wealth and remuneration can not tally. A close associate who is an accountant with Zisco Steel also confirmed that the programme is not working in the steel making giant as the Indian company that is running operations does not even remit its taxes. At the earliest sign of duress, the ministers are called and they sort things out for them. Not only those companies, there is PPC, Anglo American Zimbabwe that operates Unki Mine, Mimosa and Larfage among all the others. All these have had back door entrance onto the scene meant for local investment benefit but the greedy vultures again took them to the side and whispered in their ear.

Growth and economic improvement can never be achieved if we have these cheating men in office. I believe Zimbabwe has the capacity to feed its people only if, resources are appropriated properly and government income is spent well. It's time to take some action, tell the men that we are fed up of their gimmicks and as a nation of smart people, we shall once again rise to prominence in Africa and the entire world.