Opinion / Columnist
Zanu PF bribe war veterans with 150% pension rise to $500 pm - must bribe SADC, next
21 Aug 2017 at 05:59hrs | Views
"In its bid to win back insurgent liberation war veterans, President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF is pushing government to increase allowances paid to the veterans from the current $200 per month to $500," reported Zimeye.
"The allowance increases follows shortly after the government in a similar move recently reviewed the funeral cover for the former freedom fighters from $800 to $2 000."
Yeah right! The regime has been failing to pay the war veterans the present $200 per month allowance; the regime owes these guys over $36 million in unpaid pension and allowances. And yet, in typical Zanu PF style, the regime is offering to increase the allowance by 150% without a thought where it is going to find the money to pay for it all.
Zimbabwe is in this economic hell-hole of serious economic meltdown with unemployment soaring to 90% plus and forcing millions of our people into a life of abject poverty because of decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption.
Zanu PF has always believed that it can deliver mass economic prosperity by spending, spending and spending. This is contrary to the laws of basic economics.
It is not from reckless spending but prudent management of both human and material resources that prosperity is assured.
Zanu PF has imposed itself on the nation by running a tyrannical and vote rigging dictatorship. From its unassailable position of absolute political power the regime has then practised its voodoo-economic policies with disastrous economic consequences of the economic meltdown.
Zanu PF is a regime that has learned nothing; Zimbabwe is subject to the same laws of thermodynamics, economics, etc. as every other nation out there. Decades of Zanu PF misrule has dug the nation into hell-hole and when you are in a hole, stop digging.
Zanu PF's generous offer to the war veterans is, at best, a variation of the regime's reckless spending; it will not help end the country's economic meltdown. The offer is in fact a bribe to the war veterans to buy their blind loyalty that has help the regime impose its one-party dictatorship in the past.
Another rigged election next year will only deepen the country's economic crisis as a Zanu PF victory will only confirm nothing is going to be done to address the mismanagement and corruption, the root causes of the economic meltdown.
Zanu PF has managed to bribe Tsvangirai and the rest in the opposition to contest next year's elections even thou it is clear that with no reforms in place the regime will rig the vote. There is no doubt that many rogue war veterans will won over with the bribe and they will be playing their usual role of intimidating the electorate to vote for Zanu PF. The regime has all but won the all but won the 2018 elections.
The only two flies in Zanu PF's ointment are the economic meltdown which will get even worse because of all these vote rigging machinations. The second fly is SADC and AU who will not be easily fooled or bribed into accept next year's election result as a free, fair and credible election. SADC are particularly concerned about Zimbabwe's worsening economic situation as it is now threatening the political stability of the country and the region.
"The pension you are getting is too little. We are advocating that it be increased to at least $500 which will enable you to get a little more than you are getting now. We know the $500 is also not enough but it will go a long way as some of you are getting just over $100 each month," said Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Detainees and Restrictees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube.
Bribing the war veterans was easy but to guarantee their economic prosperity will not be so easy because that takes sound economic policies and not Zanu PF's voodoo economics. Zanu PF's greatest challenge will be to get SADC leaders to accept another rigged election next year, they will not accept any bribe!
"The allowance increases follows shortly after the government in a similar move recently reviewed the funeral cover for the former freedom fighters from $800 to $2 000."
Yeah right! The regime has been failing to pay the war veterans the present $200 per month allowance; the regime owes these guys over $36 million in unpaid pension and allowances. And yet, in typical Zanu PF style, the regime is offering to increase the allowance by 150% without a thought where it is going to find the money to pay for it all.
Zimbabwe is in this economic hell-hole of serious economic meltdown with unemployment soaring to 90% plus and forcing millions of our people into a life of abject poverty because of decades of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption.
Zanu PF has always believed that it can deliver mass economic prosperity by spending, spending and spending. This is contrary to the laws of basic economics.
It is not from reckless spending but prudent management of both human and material resources that prosperity is assured.
Zanu PF has imposed itself on the nation by running a tyrannical and vote rigging dictatorship. From its unassailable position of absolute political power the regime has then practised its voodoo-economic policies with disastrous economic consequences of the economic meltdown.
Zanu PF is a regime that has learned nothing; Zimbabwe is subject to the same laws of thermodynamics, economics, etc. as every other nation out there. Decades of Zanu PF misrule has dug the nation into hell-hole and when you are in a hole, stop digging.
Zanu PF's generous offer to the war veterans is, at best, a variation of the regime's reckless spending; it will not help end the country's economic meltdown. The offer is in fact a bribe to the war veterans to buy their blind loyalty that has help the regime impose its one-party dictatorship in the past.
Another rigged election next year will only deepen the country's economic crisis as a Zanu PF victory will only confirm nothing is going to be done to address the mismanagement and corruption, the root causes of the economic meltdown.
Zanu PF has managed to bribe Tsvangirai and the rest in the opposition to contest next year's elections even thou it is clear that with no reforms in place the regime will rig the vote. There is no doubt that many rogue war veterans will won over with the bribe and they will be playing their usual role of intimidating the electorate to vote for Zanu PF. The regime has all but won the all but won the 2018 elections.
The only two flies in Zanu PF's ointment are the economic meltdown which will get even worse because of all these vote rigging machinations. The second fly is SADC and AU who will not be easily fooled or bribed into accept next year's election result as a free, fair and credible election. SADC are particularly concerned about Zimbabwe's worsening economic situation as it is now threatening the political stability of the country and the region.
"The pension you are getting is too little. We are advocating that it be increased to at least $500 which will enable you to get a little more than you are getting now. We know the $500 is also not enough but it will go a long way as some of you are getting just over $100 each month," said Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Detainees and Restrictees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube.
Bribing the war veterans was easy but to guarantee their economic prosperity will not be so easy because that takes sound economic policies and not Zanu PF's voodoo economics. Zanu PF's greatest challenge will be to get SADC leaders to accept another rigged election next year, they will not accept any bribe!
Source - Nomusa Garikai
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