Opinion / Columnist
'Zimbabweans the poorest in Africa,' AfrAsia report - recovery start with…
25 Apr 2017 at 17:53hrs | Views
"According to the Africa 2016 Wealth Report, Zimbabwe has been ranked as the country with the poorest people on the continent, with average wealth of $200 per person," reported Bulawayo24.com.
"In the report, AfrAsia - a Mauritius-domiciled financial institution which once operated in Zimbabwe after acquiring the now-defunct Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited - noted that back in 2000, Zimbabwe was one of the wealthiest countries in sub-Saharan Africa on a wealth per capita basis.
"It listed Mauritius as the country with the wealthiest people, with an average wealth of $25 700 per person."
How the mighty have fallen!
Only last week VP Emerson Mnangagwa was boasting about Zimbabwe having one of the highest literacy rates in Africa; that must be a long time ago, when the country was rich. Now that we are one of the poorest nation on the poorest continent; many of our people cannot afford one decent meal a day, our literacy has gone to the dogs!
The tragedy of Zimbabwe is that we should, by right, be one of the wealthiest countries on the continent if we solved our man-made problems.
Over a year ago; when Mugabe admitted that $15 billions in diamond revenue was "swindled", very few people showed any concern. It was all water off a duck's back. But with all this evidence of growing poverty the nation will now be forced to pay attention.
We now know that Mugabe's admission of $15 billions being swindled was a true story because media houses like BBC and Spotlight Zimbabwe have uncovered the evidence of serious looting and plunder in Zimbabwe. Mai Mujuru and her late husband swindled over $15.8 billions in diamonds. Read more about it on the following site, http://spotlight-z.com/news/diamonds-mujuru-tried-sell/a long
It is over year ago since Mugabe admitted the swindling but still not even one person has been arrested and not a single dollar recovered. Why? How can the regime investigate the $15 billion without risking more stories of looting coming out; it was not the Mujurus alone who have been looting.
But to stay with the $15 billion for now. The money could have been used to finance the building of Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Project, $1.5 billion (Zambia paying its own share or else forfeit its share of the 800 MW). There would have been enough cash left over to build a double lane dual carriage way motorways from Chirundu in the North to Beitbridge in the South and from Mutare in the East to Plumtree in the West and all connecting feeder roads. The positive effects of these projects alone on the nation would have been immeasurable!
If the Murujus realised $150 million, 1% of the loot, then they have done well. As for what they have today to show for the loot, that is a tall order because most of it was squandered of luxuries and pleasure.
The Zanu PF regime has been using some of the looted diamond wealth from Marange and Chiadzwa to bankroll its party activities and vote rigging schemes. For the 2013 elections Mugabe must have spend at least $4 billions and in the coming elections the figure will very easily shoot up to $12 billions.
Whilst the ordinary Zimbabwean's income has fallen to a misery $200 per year, country's few ruling elite are some of the richest individuals in the whole world. It is this chasm between the rich and the poor that is the reason why the idea of losing power for the ruling elite is now unthinkable. Whilst the diamond wealth should have been the ticket to national prosperity it has now become our greatest curse in that the ruling elite are using the diamond wealth to finance their vote rigging schemes.
For Zimbabweans to start clawing their way up the economic ladder, we need to implement the reforms and thus ensure free, fair and credible elections. We need political transformation first and foremost before we can have economic transformation. And the political transformation must start with the demands to have all the democratic reforms implemented BEFORE the next elections.
"In the report, AfrAsia - a Mauritius-domiciled financial institution which once operated in Zimbabwe after acquiring the now-defunct Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited - noted that back in 2000, Zimbabwe was one of the wealthiest countries in sub-Saharan Africa on a wealth per capita basis.
"It listed Mauritius as the country with the wealthiest people, with an average wealth of $25 700 per person."
How the mighty have fallen!
Only last week VP Emerson Mnangagwa was boasting about Zimbabwe having one of the highest literacy rates in Africa; that must be a long time ago, when the country was rich. Now that we are one of the poorest nation on the poorest continent; many of our people cannot afford one decent meal a day, our literacy has gone to the dogs!
The tragedy of Zimbabwe is that we should, by right, be one of the wealthiest countries on the continent if we solved our man-made problems.
Over a year ago; when Mugabe admitted that $15 billions in diamond revenue was "swindled", very few people showed any concern. It was all water off a duck's back. But with all this evidence of growing poverty the nation will now be forced to pay attention.
It is over year ago since Mugabe admitted the swindling but still not even one person has been arrested and not a single dollar recovered. Why? How can the regime investigate the $15 billion without risking more stories of looting coming out; it was not the Mujurus alone who have been looting.
But to stay with the $15 billion for now. The money could have been used to finance the building of Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Project, $1.5 billion (Zambia paying its own share or else forfeit its share of the 800 MW). There would have been enough cash left over to build a double lane dual carriage way motorways from Chirundu in the North to Beitbridge in the South and from Mutare in the East to Plumtree in the West and all connecting feeder roads. The positive effects of these projects alone on the nation would have been immeasurable!
If the Murujus realised $150 million, 1% of the loot, then they have done well. As for what they have today to show for the loot, that is a tall order because most of it was squandered of luxuries and pleasure.
The Zanu PF regime has been using some of the looted diamond wealth from Marange and Chiadzwa to bankroll its party activities and vote rigging schemes. For the 2013 elections Mugabe must have spend at least $4 billions and in the coming elections the figure will very easily shoot up to $12 billions.
Whilst the ordinary Zimbabwean's income has fallen to a misery $200 per year, country's few ruling elite are some of the richest individuals in the whole world. It is this chasm between the rich and the poor that is the reason why the idea of losing power for the ruling elite is now unthinkable. Whilst the diamond wealth should have been the ticket to national prosperity it has now become our greatest curse in that the ruling elite are using the diamond wealth to finance their vote rigging schemes.
For Zimbabweans to start clawing their way up the economic ladder, we need to implement the reforms and thus ensure free, fair and credible elections. We need political transformation first and foremost before we can have economic transformation. And the political transformation must start with the demands to have all the democratic reforms implemented BEFORE the next elections.
Source - Wilbert Mukori
All articles and letters published on Bulawayo24 have been independently written by members of Bulawayo24's community. The views of users published on Bulawayo24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Bulawayo24. Bulawayo24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
