Saturday 3 December 2011

The American presidential race is on, we should learn the true rigours on democracy but never do!

It is that time of the American political cycle again where all aspiring candidates to hold various public offices including the top job, President of the United States of America, put their names in the hat and under goes a rigorous test at the end of which the party members seek who they want to be their party candidate. After that the winning candidate will have to undergo an even more torturous acid test at the end of which the whole nation gets to pick the winner. This is what is noticeably lacking in Africa!

For all their rhetoric about championing democratic change Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have stifled debate and competition within the party itself, just as Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies have done. Indeed the only difference between Tsvangirai and Mugabe is that the latter stifled democratic competition against him and his Zanu PF candidates to the point of death! Is it any wonder then we have ended up with a tyrant Mugabe as president and an incompetent and indecisive Tsvangirai as the alternative.


££££££££££

Tony Hawkins, one of the leading Economist in Zimbabwe asked the key question: Economy: is it growth or recovery?

“AT first sight it is almost too good to be true. Zimbabwe’s economy has “grown” about 2 percent in the three years since dollarisation and the launch of the seriously misnamed government of national unity in February 2009,” wrote Tony.

Zimbabwe’s 2% growth is at the back of a staggering 84% economic shrink in the six year period 2002 to 2008. With sound economic policies and political will the country should be registering 20% plus growth. Zimbabwe did not have any foreign aid or investment for example, one of the key requirements for economic recovery, because the country to this day is still seen as a lawlessness and corrupt country.
For a country facing 80% plus unemployment rate a 2% economic growth rate is nothing. It is really disappointing that some Zimbabweans including the Finance Minister himself should be pleased with the 2%. Yes it is infinitely better than what the nation had at the tail end of Mugabe's rule; still should we be comparing ourselves with a failed dictatorship or what we can be?!

2 comments:

Zimbabwe Light said...

Over 500 people were killed in the madness of the 2008 presidential run-off and Mugabe can not deny that he had a hand in this. Worse still, Mugabe continues to play this blood-thirst card for his own selfish gain. Surely that is a stronger reason to impeach this tyrant than the shaky grounds of what someone might or might to have said!

This parliament will never impeach Mugabe though; the house is full of subservient members too cowardly to anything other than appease the tyrant.

Zimbabwe Light said...
This comment has been removed by the author.