Well done COSATU for being quick off the mark! Since independence Mugabe has followed a similar black empowerment policy “because blacks were held back during the years of white oppression” with the same twist on the tail – it was the select few who benefited time and time again. All the places at Colleges and Universities were filled with the ruling elite’s children and relatives first and we ordinary mortals had to settle for whatever was left even when the later had first class results to the former’s way below average results. At work places the select few were parachuted from outside to fill in vacancies no one knew existed! ZCTU, COSATU’s counterpart in Zimbabwe, was aware of all these goings on but never ever said a word! ZCTU was then led by none other than Tsvangirai himself.
Zimbabwe’s black empowerment at its destructive worst is Mugabe’s still ongoing land redistribution which has seen the ruling elite occupying five or more farms each whilst the landless peasants who were supposed to be the main beneficiaries are still stuck in overcrowded rural areas. MDC led by the same Morgan Tsvangirai has again said little about it!
I must congratulate COSATU and its leadership for being on the ball. Black economic empowerment can be a vehicle for achieving a more equitable distribution of wealth but like everything else in the wrong hands it could lead to ruin as happened in Zimbabwe.
1 comment:
@Joel Mamabolo
“The best offer that SADC boys-club could do is to disband as it represents nothing of substance except to wither before Uncle Bob each time they announce their tea parties in the name of summits.” Well you said it all.
I know we have tyrants like Mugabe and Al Bashir, still I do not accept that Africa is “doomed”. We have also had great leaders like Nelson Mandela and I believe there are more like him out there. You for example; where have you been hiding? Your comment was a breath of fresh air and a total contrast to the Mugabe propagandists and apologists like Fungayi, John Berry and Dread Dread6.
Africa has the wealth and resources to get out of the hell-hole dictators like Mugabe have led us into. What has been lacking is men and women of quality to come forward and challenge the mediocre leaders like President Zuma and ruthless tyrants likes Mugabe in a focused and determined way.
@Jeanius
But is that the primary function of the press - to fight the government of the day trying to muzzle them? In a functioning democracy press freedom must be guaranteed and not to be fought over like a bone.
The minute it comes to that then we all know who will win the fight - government of course, it has the power to enact laws and enforce them and also it has unlimited public funds. It is normal for tyrannical regimes to harass and bankrupt media house they do not like by suing them for everything. If the media has to fight government over press freedom then the battle is already lost
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