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Zimbabwe industrial revolution possible only if we abandon colonial institutions - political analyst
10 Aug 2016 at 07:49hrs | Views
A political analyst Vince Musewe has said Zimbabwe's industrial revolution can only be possible if the government abandons the systems it adopted from the colonial rule of Ian Douglass Smith.
He said Africa has been trying to industrialise since 1951 with the independence of Ghana. Its failure has really not been about the lack of resources or good intentions, but about the lack of visionary leadership and political will to do the necessary.
He said corruption and the greed for power without responsibility have arrested Africa's developmental objectives.
"Conflict over political and economic institutions and the distribution of resources has been pervasive throughout the history of nations and Africa in particular. If we are to create a modern state in Zimbabwe characterised by inclusive political and economic institutions, we must first look at history and understand the necessary conditions which are necessary for sustainable industrial development," Musewe said.
"An industrial revolution in Zimbabwe is possible sometime in our future, but this can only happen when we radically change the institutions that we inherited from colonialism and also reverse Zanu (PF) policies which have continued to arrest our development in the last thirty six years of independence."
His view was opposed by by Piet Cloete who said the institutions of colonialism that we inherited are the foundations upon which our industrialization and commerce was built.
"Respect for laws, property rights, education and good governance, are all essential for people to put their money ,ingenuity and labour into creating an industrial revolution," he said. But Musewe said the colonial institutions were designed to serve the interests of the colonialist industriliasation.
"They were attractive and racist. We need to build new inclusive institutions whose main focus is to service the needs of the native and improve his or her quality of life and not that of a few liberation struggle elite," Musewe said.
He said Africa has been trying to industrialise since 1951 with the independence of Ghana. Its failure has really not been about the lack of resources or good intentions, but about the lack of visionary leadership and political will to do the necessary.
He said corruption and the greed for power without responsibility have arrested Africa's developmental objectives.
"Conflict over political and economic institutions and the distribution of resources has been pervasive throughout the history of nations and Africa in particular. If we are to create a modern state in Zimbabwe characterised by inclusive political and economic institutions, we must first look at history and understand the necessary conditions which are necessary for sustainable industrial development," Musewe said.
"An industrial revolution in Zimbabwe is possible sometime in our future, but this can only happen when we radically change the institutions that we inherited from colonialism and also reverse Zanu (PF) policies which have continued to arrest our development in the last thirty six years of independence."
His view was opposed by by Piet Cloete who said the institutions of colonialism that we inherited are the foundations upon which our industrialization and commerce was built.
"Respect for laws, property rights, education and good governance, are all essential for people to put their money ,ingenuity and labour into creating an industrial revolution," he said. But Musewe said the colonial institutions were designed to serve the interests of the colonialist industriliasation.
"They were attractive and racist. We need to build new inclusive institutions whose main focus is to service the needs of the native and improve his or her quality of life and not that of a few liberation struggle elite," Musewe said.
Source - Byo24News
