Mugabe should stop posturing and end corruption or else resign

Zimbabwe Social Democrats call upon Mugabe to stop the cynical political posturing and address the problem of rampant corruption or otherwise resign before it is too late.  

We in the ZSD dismiss the recent admission by Deputy Minister of Youth and Empowerment, Mathias Tongofa, that the youth empowerment policy had been a failure and thus would be discontinued as cynical gimmick comparable to the regime’s painting of the late Shamuyarira’s house the day he died.

The late Nathan Shamuyarira, was a Zanu PF grandee with 25 years of service in ministerial position, died a pauper; proof that poverty has now reached the inner most sanctuary of the Zanu PF ruling elite. The day he died, at 4.00 pm the party had his house painted to hide the years of neglect, rot and decay indicative of the grinding poverty and despair of those dwelt there.

Mrs Shamuyarira, herself a Matron at Parerenyatwa Hospital for donkey years, could not even afford the bus fare to visit her husband on his death bed. What comfort did painting the front of the house (it is almost certain that only the front was painted) bring to her when the real problems of unpaid bills, no food, lack of running water, etc. were left untouched to weigh her down.

Poverty is a cruel taskmaster who will haunt you to your early grave. Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has left many people unable to earn a living and thus keep poverty at bay.

Growing old is something all mortals dread because with age comes other challenges; poverty makes those challenges unbearable. It is decades of Zanu PF misrule that has turned Zimbabwe, a once prosperous country, into one of the poorest. Painting the late Shamuyarira’s house to hide the evidence of the poverty he had endured to the end whilst doing nothing to help his impoverished widow was a sick, cruel and cynical Zanu PF joke.

We view the announcement to discontinue the youth empowerment projects as a middle finger gesture by Zanu PF to the long suffering people of Zimbabwe. The regime is struggling to pay the wages of civil servants and therefore has no money for little else. The regime is making a big song and dance about the millions it will save by cancelling the youth empowerment projects is an empty gesture to hide it failure to address the problem of rampant corruption fuelling the country’s economic meltdown.

The regime has done little to end the boardroom rampant corruption as exemplified by huge salaries paid to PSMAS CEO and board member Cuthbert Dube and George Charamba, Mugabe’s spokesman. Indeed the regime has been doing the exact opposite by making even more political appointments.

Minister of Energy, Dzikamayi Mavhaire appointed a busload of board members to ZESA and its subsidiary companies. “Dusted down” political appointees, as one newspaper called them, being rescued from the ravishing of the cruel taskmaster, poverty and will do nothing to end the mismanagement and corruption in ZESA.

“It is as good as you are questioning why President Mugabe approved those boards,” responded Minister Mavhaire when he was questioned on the political appointments.

Conclusion

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown is real and so too is the grinding poverty its accompanying twin and now the unwelcome permanent guest in every home in Zimbabwe. If a Zanu PF grandee like Nathan Shamuyarira could not keep poverty at bay; what more the ordinary man and woman with no resources and no political influence!

Whitewashing the Shamuyarira house did not end the poverty within just as scrapping none existent youth projects will not end the criminal waste of resources by the on-going boardroom rampant corruption.

The appointing of a busload of Zanu PF loyalists to be board members will rescue the individuals from poverty but only to condemn millions of fellow Zimbabweans to worse economic suffering and despair as the nation economic meltdown get worse.

The truth is Mugabe cannot meaningful address the problem of rampant corruption because he is himself both the commander-in-chief of the looting brigade and the chief beneficiary of the looting. Whilst Mugabe has his “Blue Roof” mansion and give away lavish gifts like the Mapfeni Farm in Mazowe for his daughter Bona Nyepudzai; all those round him will feel they too have a right to loot and catch up with him!

We call upon Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies to accept that political and economic model they have imposed on the nation these last 34 years has failed as it has produced poverty and despair throughout the land. Not even party grandees like Nathan Shamuyarira and many, many others have been able to escape the grinding poverty that is now everywhere.

Since the rigged 2013 elections Mugabe and his cronies thought they could rig economic recovery too but have clearly failed to do so. The economic situation has got worse and worse since then not better and this regime should not drag the nation any deeper into this hell.

There are two options for Mugabe and his cronies either to resign now or be forced out of offices under chaotic circumstances costly to both the party and the nation at large. The regime should know that the window of opportunity to resign is closing with each passing day!