Friday 11 May 2018

How can Zimbabwe, so Rich in Mineral Resources, be so Impoverished?

""Zimbabwe’s economy is characterized by instability and volatility, both of which are hallmarks of excessive government interference and mismanagement. Massive corruption and disastrous economic policies have plunged the country into poverty. An inefficient judicial system and general lack of transparency severely exacerbate business costs and entrepreneurial risk. The government will likely adopt desperate short-term measures to stave off economic collapse, possibly including a unilateral de-dollarization that would reopen the door to hyperinflation, further crippling the private sector and severely undermining macroeconomic stability.""
Source: www.tradingeconomics.com

""Zimbabwe’s economic freedom score is 44.0, making its economy the 174th freest in the 2018 Index. Its overall score has not changed, with significant improvements in scores for the trade freedom and judicial effectiveness indicators exactly offset by a plunge in fiscal health. Zimbabwe is ranked 44th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is below the regional and world averages.""

Source Of both Quotes:Heritage Foundation

GDP Downturn

The graph above needs further explanation. In 2008 the Military [a de-facto Coup d'etat] over-turned a 75% election win  by the MDC opposition and created a "Government of National Unity" [sic] . In practice this had Tendai Biti from MDC as Minister of Finance - who very rapidly turned the fiscal situation around - by basically curtailing suicidal Government Spending. However, too often the "Office of the President" [Mugabe] would limit or over-rule his sensible actions.

Therefore the growth from 2008-2011 is initiated by MDC's Mr Biti - but by 2012 the old "habits" of profligate patronage and corruption are starting to take effect.

The vote rigging in 2013 made sure the Zanu PF once again took full control. The Graph clearly indicates the folly and general incompetence of their economic policies.

Additionally intimidation, political violence, Human Rights Abuses, Torture and corruption took hold once again - and to this day are continuing, with only the briefest respite when Mugabe was removed by a de-facto Coup d'etat in November 2017.

Free and Fair Elections?

In an attempt to win the 2018 election, Zanu PF and their new imposed "President" Mnangagwa is spending a reported $200m on his campaign with massive posters all over the capital. Also a propaganda "Charm-Offensive" and the slogan "Open for Business" are being widely marketed both domestically and internationally.

Unfortunately there is little evidence of an independent media in Zimbabwe. The only TV Channel is run for the benefit of the regime, and only reports on negaitive aspects of any of the opposition, The same is true of several of the newspapers - particulalry the overtly partisan Herald.

Free and Fair Elections have been promised, but delivery of this promise is very hard to find. The media is still partisan, the Zimbabwe Electoral Comission is still partisan, The Military is still partisan, the Judisiary is still partisan - in fact nearly every organ of Government and Nationalised Industry is partisan. Additionally the 2013 Consitution is being breached by partisan legislation designed to maintain an unfair advantage for the regime.

With Elections scheduled just a few months away Free, Fair and Credible voting is not possible.


Sunday 6 May 2018

Indifference to the People's Desperate Needs

Taken from Raw and Unfiltered Perspective

Self-Inflicted Death Throws of Zanu PF

Indifference to the people's desperate needs, indifference to the people's pain and suffering is what will pen the political demise of the willfully clueless unelected Zanu pf coup leadership at the helm of the republic.

I am not sure if his utterances and ill conceived decisions are symptomatic of an adverse reaction out of abuse of ambi and ponds which maybe have gone past the skin to his brains, It is imperative that General Chiwenga and his installed project Mnangagwa be guided accordingly so that they are fully aware of what the true owners of the republic, the general populace are capable of doing with their vote because being continually mocked by these two that Zanu pf will rule forever because they are entitled to doing so by virtue of their liberation credentials is not only sickening but insulting in view of the naseous mess we are currently festering in, a product of nearly four decades of gross mismanagement of the economy, corruption, entitlement and unchecked looting by the said and their fellow Zanu pf comrades.

For the record General Chiwenga seems to be ill informed, he is not aware that we cannot continue to salute politicians who are doing nothing for the general populace nor anything to develop the republic save for looting national resources. So that liberation war talk is stale, it is way outdated beyond its shelve life, it holds no clout, it is irrelevant because it does not put food on ordinary people's table and the so called liberation gains he constantly refers to have not translated to the nation so we have absolutely no reason to celebrate ill gotten personal gains since it has nothing to do with the national development but personal gains for a select few.

May our Coup installed General Chiwenga be reminded that the people of this republic do not owe him or his assistant Mnangagwa any apologies and also be reminded that he is in for a rude awakening if he continues thinking that Zanu pf is going to be ruling forever because they are not, as a matter of fact this year will be their last call as a ruling party and will soon be the opposition.

My brothers and sisters, do not be intimidated by anyone claiming special privileges or access to national resources without being accountable to any checks and balances while evoking immunity for their ill calculated actions or any misdeeds primarily because they have a claim to being a freedom fighter or revolutionery. This has been abused so much that, it doesn't scare us anymore, it is of no relevance to the challenges, needs and dictates of this generation.

Opposition

My take is having lived under the harsh realities of a Zanu pf led government's failed economic policies and brutality, they foisted upon a people is no different than fighting a war and surviving in a war zone where daily you fight for survival, scraping for a living, trying hard, fighting to defend your own freedoms and liberties from a repressive regime hence being revolutioneries and freedom fighters by virtue of that war we are still waging, a nearly four decades long war of survival.

The grim reality of living under a Zanu pf regime has not only been atrocious but depressingly heart wrenching and traumatic, that is why it is imperative for Zanu pf to leave our political diet to allow a people to heal as soon as they are served their electoral packing orders. Not only will it be therapeutic but a very well deserved rehabilitation and national healing from the wounds of the brutal repression and a sustained denial of workers and a people's rights.

Should there be any benefits to be qualified for, I am glad to say that the whole country will qualify for it because we are all revolutioneries and freedom fighters waging a war against a system of dictatorship taking away workers rights, stealing national resources, intimidating workers and citizens from expressing their need for a better standard of living. Having suffered for nearly four decades and still fighting a social political revolution, for a better standard of living and opportunities being hoarded by a rogue regime for selective access to a few kin of the corrupt politicians, we the general populace are the true freedom fighters and revolutioneries fighting a corrupt and repressive system, a military dictatorship.

We are All Freedom Fighters Now

Always remember my brothers and sisters that you are a revolutionery and freedom fighter by your own merit, in your own right because fighting a repressive system, poverty daily, nursing a wounded will to carry on under draconian laws, enduring inhibitive government sponsored terror, anguish and inhospitable conditions, living under a repressive Zanu pf regime intolerant to dissent, calls for resilience, it requires a special set of survival skills and the will to continue to survive without any hope in sight.

That fighter instinct in you, that revolutionery in you, that freedom fighter you are, has carried you in torrid conditions to today, so let no one have such an antiquated claim like Chiwenga's utterance that he will forgive us for not having fought the liberation struggle, its nothing to be proud of, when all there is, is falling in to the hands of tyranny and dictatorship.

We owe no one nothing but have been robbed and stripped of our dignity as a people for the last three decades and eight years in counting by the same thieves now wanting us to salute them without question, no, we wont because we the people are the true freedom fighters and revolutioneries fighting for the change we deserve from a system holding us hostage under the beluef that we owe them a lifetime of debt for their liberation participation.

It is now time to cut off the umbilical of entitlement and unfettered access to national resources by a few political thieves and their military cohorts.