"Indigenisation
is a policy based on race; that is a fact. It is a policy that specifically
seeks to give black people an advantage over white people and the justification
is that white people have previously been over-advantaged and we need to be
clear on that… I can put it in nice ways…equitable access and so on, but
ndezvevanhu vatema, ndizvozvo (it's for black people and that is that!) and
that is the bottom line," said Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment
Minister Patrick Zhuwao.
Does
it really matter what the policy is based on; what matters is whether or not it
is economically empowering anybody. The law was passed in 2008 and since then
how many foreign owned companies valued at $ 500 000 or more have invested in
Zimbabwe? How many black Zimbabweans have been economically empowered by
getting 51% share in these foreign businesses and how many are employed by
these businesses?
Minister
Zhuwao, foreign investors have shied away from investing in Zimbabwe because of
this obnoxious indigenisation law. I say obnoxious because it is obnoxious; a
country can impose all manner of taxes and levies as it sees fit but to force
someone to cede controlling share of their business to a partner(s) they never
asked for is an outrage. Whether the partner(s) is local or foreign, black or
any colour of the rainbow, is irrelevant.
Foreign
investors view the imposed partner(s) as nothing more than a blood sucking parasite(s)
and, worst of all since they will own the controlling share, very bossy one(s).
It is bad enough there are ticks out there but no cow would venture into a tick
infested field, ticks the size of a monkey, especial when it can graze
somewhere else.
Zimbabwe
is not the only country in the world offering investment opportunities; we have
to compete with our regional neighbours. In 2012 Zimbabwe only managed to get
4% of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Mozambique received, for example.
None of those investors ceded any of their business shares to a local partner.
There are still many monkey-size ticks still hungrily waiting for the 51% share
economic empowerment from these illusive foreigners!
In
2008, when Zanu PF passed this obnoxious indigenisation law, unemployment in
Zimbabwe was already a nauseating 80%. Most of these unemployed workers are
ordinary Zimbabweans who have nothing; they did not get any of the farms seized
from the white farmers and will, likewise, never be offered any of these 51%
share of foreign businesses. To them economic empowerment is getting a job,
period!
The
ordinary Zimbabwean stood to gain nothing from the passing of the
indigenisation law in that he/she was not going to own any shares. But with the
law scarring away investors it was the ordinary people who lost the most in
lost employment opportunity. Unemployment has soared to 90% plus today; forcing
millions of Zimbabweans to leave the country or else join the hordes selling
airtime cards, oranges, trinkets, etc. on the street.
Zimbabwe
has become a nation of vendors!
"I
am the new Sheriff in town, and as the new Sheriff in town all I do is - I
don't negotiate government policy, I don't negotiate legislation, all I do is
implement existing legislation," said Zhuwao.
Well,
Sheriff Zhuwao is right there; we can argue on the merits and demerits of the
indigenisation law, or any other Zanu PF policy for that matter, until we are
charcoal black in the face - the regime will still implement law regardless. We
have absolutely no say on the indigenisation law or any Zanu PF policy now, had
in the past or will we have any in the future. Zimbabwe is a dictatorship and
as the dictator, Mugabe, dictates policies.
Of
course Mugabe will claim that his indigenisation law was approved by the people.
He blatantly rigged the 2013 elections, just as he has rig many elections in
the past, and thus denying the people a meaningful say in the governance of the
country. The people have lost their democratic right to hold him to account. He
can claim whatever he likes and does!
Mugabe and his nephew, Zhuwao, are
playing politics with the very survival of millions of our people. The
indigenisation law fits very well with the Mugabe’s macho anti-white and
anti-western rhetoric that is why it must stay; the fact that it has failed to
empower any one and has impoverished millions is irrelevant, as far as the
tyrant is concerned.
This obnoxious indigenisation law,
its greatest appeal being its racist overtones, is not just another law; it is
now the very embodiment of Robert Gabriel Mugabe and his legacy to mankind.
Yes millions are out of work and
many of them are living in abject poverty, they cannot afford even one decent
meal a day. Where there is hunger and poverty, disease and death are not far
behind. Yes Zimbabweans are dying like falling fig tree leaves at the start of
the dry season. To Mugabe, the economic meltdown, the human suffering and
deaths are all a price well worth paying than have his indigenisation law, his
legacy, scarpered.
Whilst the obnoxious
indigenisation law, the obelisk of lawlessness, remains there is no hope of any
meaningful economic recovery but what is that to Mugabe!
The belligerent and arrogance of
Sheriff Zhuwao, a reflection of his Uncle Bob’s belligerence and arrogance,
should settle the matter of whether or not there can be meaningful economic
recovery with Mugabe and Zanu PF still in power. Mugabe’s belligerence shows
that he will never implement and meaning economic reforms which include the
scrapping of the obnoxious indigenisation law, end corruption, etc.
If we want meaningful economic
recovery, the worsening economic meltdown makes recovery urgent; then we must
first have regime change; i.e. implement GPA reforms followed by the holding of
free, fair and credible elections.
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