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'Zimbabwe is a poor nation of vendors,' says Tsvangirai
17 Dec 2014 at 20:41hrs | Views
Opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has described 2014 as a tempestuous year saying the carnival atmosphere synonymous with the festive season is not being felt as people continue to suffer.
In his end of year message, the former premier said Zimbabweans "have simply become a poor nation of vendors, a country where everyone is trying to sell something to someone".
He said in January he warned that "the prospects for the country would remain bleak as long as we did not address the elephant in the room, a government without the people"s mandate that pretended to be steering the affairs of the State".
"Dear Zimbabweans, we have come to the end of yet another tempestuous year; a year in which our faith and belief in the capacity of government to stand by its word has been seriously betrayed.
"Zimbabweans are suffering. The carnival atmosphere synonymous with this time of the year is sorely absent in the country. In the run-up to this festive season, we are not seeing housewives pushing full trolleys out of supermarkets and food chains as they did during the inclusive government era. All we see are hardworking vendors crowding our streets and struggling to survive".
He said he will spend the festive season at his rural home.
"Like most Zimbabweans, I will be going to my rural home in Buhera this tough festive season to spend time with my family and my beloved mother, Mbuya Tsvangirai. Let us maintain the spirit and faith both in the Lord and in the chastity of our own struggle for a better Zimbabwe.
He said over 4 000 companies have closed and more than 55 000 people have lost their jobs.
Tsvangirai said his party was passionate about creating opportunities for all Zimbabweans, regardless of our diversity.
"We want to create a country with opportunities for the right and the poor, the farmer, the student, the housewife, the worker, the economically disabled and even the disabled and the infirm".
Tsvangirai said the Zanu-PF government is battling to fulfil its 2013 election promises.
"The ambitious programme (ZIMASSET) had promised the creation of 2,2 million jobs, the construction of 250 000 low-income homes, a growth rate of nine percent per annum, 310 public schools and 300 more clinics up to 2018.
"But there has been a huge chasm between that dream and the sad reality. There has been no statecraft in the cockpit of State and the mediocrity in the corridors of government is alarming, even by Zanu-PF"s usual poor standards".
In his end of year message, the former premier said Zimbabweans "have simply become a poor nation of vendors, a country where everyone is trying to sell something to someone".
He said in January he warned that "the prospects for the country would remain bleak as long as we did not address the elephant in the room, a government without the people"s mandate that pretended to be steering the affairs of the State".
"Dear Zimbabweans, we have come to the end of yet another tempestuous year; a year in which our faith and belief in the capacity of government to stand by its word has been seriously betrayed.
"Zimbabweans are suffering. The carnival atmosphere synonymous with this time of the year is sorely absent in the country. In the run-up to this festive season, we are not seeing housewives pushing full trolleys out of supermarkets and food chains as they did during the inclusive government era. All we see are hardworking vendors crowding our streets and struggling to survive".
He said he will spend the festive season at his rural home.
"Like most Zimbabweans, I will be going to my rural home in Buhera this tough festive season to spend time with my family and my beloved mother, Mbuya Tsvangirai. Let us maintain the spirit and faith both in the Lord and in the chastity of our own struggle for a better Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai said his party was passionate about creating opportunities for all Zimbabweans, regardless of our diversity.
"We want to create a country with opportunities for the right and the poor, the farmer, the student, the housewife, the worker, the economically disabled and even the disabled and the infirm".
Tsvangirai said the Zanu-PF government is battling to fulfil its 2013 election promises.
"The ambitious programme (ZIMASSET) had promised the creation of 2,2 million jobs, the construction of 250 000 low-income homes, a growth rate of nine percent per annum, 310 public schools and 300 more clinics up to 2018.
"But there has been a huge chasm between that dream and the sad reality. There has been no statecraft in the cockpit of State and the mediocrity in the corridors of government is alarming, even by Zanu-PF"s usual poor standards".
Source - Radio Dialogue
