"Well, first of all, I would like to reaffirm that we will be conducting a Staff Monitoring Programme with Zimbabwe. And it is particularly appropriate that we do that expeditiously, given the hardship and the loss caused by the recent cyclone,” Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the IMF.
"I can assure you that, on the principle of the social protection of the most vulnerable, of inclusion, we will be deploying the principles by which we now operate.
"As I have announced to the IMFC this morning, a social protection framework is going to come up for discussion at the board in the next few weeks, and we will certainly endeavour to deploy social protection principles in the work that we do with the authorities.”
"I can assure you that, on the principle of the social protection of the most vulnerable, of inclusion, we will be deploying the principles by which we now operate.
"As I have announced to the IMFC this morning, a social protection framework is going to come up for discussion at the board in the next few weeks, and we will certainly endeavour to deploy social protection principles in the work that we do with the authorities.”
No Zimbabwean in their right mind would ever object to the IMF or anyone else helping the millions of Zimbabweans out there who are destitute. It is not only the victims of Cyclone Idai who need help, there are millions facing starvation because of the drought.
The impact of these natural disaster have been amplified as their effect is superimposed on long term man-made disaster of serious economic meltdown; brought on by decades gross mismanagement and rampant corruption which has caused unemployment to soar to nauseating heights of 90% leaving ¾ of the population living on US$30 per month or less. It would be wishful thinking to expect Madame Christine Lagarde’s global financial safety net catch all Zimbabwe’s destitute!
The most important thing for all of us to remember here is that Zimbabwe is in this economic mess because the country has been stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF regime for the last 39 years. The regime has routinely rig elections to stay in power against the democratic wishes of the people. The regime rigged last year’s elections extending its rule and compounding the country’s economic mess.
The nation is caught is this vicious cycle of Zanu PF rigging elections so it can enjoy five years of corrupt and tyrannical rule ending with the party rigging the next elections to restart the cycle. The only hope of breaking this cycle is to force Zanu PF to step down.
The pressure on Zanu PF to step down has been steady growing from the worsening economic situation in the country and from countries like the USA and UK who have refused to re-engage the Zanu PF regime because it is illegitimate. We, ordinary Zimbabweans on the coal face of the worsening economic situation, would like to see the rest of international community, particularly the IMF, WB and EU, to support the targeted sanctions and all other measures designed to Zanu PF to step down.
It is therefore important that IMF’s and all the others toying with the idea of re-engaging Zanu PF must separate humanitarian reasons for doing so from the political and economic grounds. Zanu PF will never ever fully implement the economic and political reforms to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. That is a fact!
“Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!” (Zanu PF will rule! And rule! Which you {calling for reforms} bark! And bark!) President Mnangagwa has often boasted to his cronies and publicly.
IMF and the WB stopped funding the Zanu PF regime in 2000 when the later stopped pay back its debts and blaming the Brentwood institutions for failed reform programmes. IMF voiced its disappointment and walking away leaving the ordinary Zimbabweans to suffer the consequences of the mountain of debt and, worse still, the two decades of misrule that followed.
It would be unforgivable if the IMF renewed its financial assistance to Zanu PF and thus help regime stay in power till 2023 under the pretext the regime is implementing the reforms only for the regime to once again rig the elections! The IMF will walk away to leave the long suffering Zimbabweans, once again, suffer the consequences IMF’s folly and five more years beyond 2023 of this hell-on-earth.
IMF can help the destitute in Zimbabwe, just do not overreach and bankroll the illegitimate Zanu PF regime! You will not be doing the long suffering people of Zimbabwe any favours.
2 comments:
@ Zimvigil
The AU claims to promote the human rights of the African people but here it has positioned itself in support of yet another clapped-out military dictator. For the past decade Bashir has been a fugitive from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, notably the genocide of people in the Darfur region. An estimated 300,000 people died in the ethnic conflict there between mainly Christian southerners who are agriculturalists and more nomadic livestock herders of Arab descent.
The people of Sudan must demand an interim administration that will be entrusted the task on implementing democratic reforms and holding free, fair and credible elections. A military council being proposed by the army will never implement the reforms fully if they implemented any at all!
Sudan is in its formative stage and what kind of country to emerge from this will depend on who is in charge these two formative stage years. Get the right people into the interim administration and the country will enjoy peace, freedom and economic prosperity for generations to come. Get the wrong people and the nightmare of the last 30 years will continue!
The drought and Cyclone Idai hit the nation that was already on its knees! Decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption have left the Zimbabwe economy in ruins and 3/4 of the population living on US$30 per month or less.
When are already on your knees on the way down or doing your very best to just stay up and you are hit hard, you do not get up!
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