State of the Nation Address was very clear & good awaiting for implementation

I attended President Mnangagwa's state of the nation address at HICC. Relatively it was good and clear but we are no waiting for implementation and results. The way I see the man is on track, there is no need to criticize things that are good. It is a bad habit to criticize things that are good for the sake of criticizing. We have to be frank to each other on areas that were not addressed hopefully the President will move in to clear on those grey areas of the Government. I think in terms of policy research matters the President sounds good but on the issue of reforms like media, electoral and legislative agenda I think he needs to work more on that area. One area I may find it difficult for him is on the implementation part. There are Zanu PF hawks who are behind him who may say let's see how he will do it because by addressing issues of corruption most people who are corrupt may put a lot of spanners on the way, at the same time given the context that we are drawing closer to election time, he may have a hard time in bringing such things on board. I remember Mugabe giving so many state of the nation address but on the implementation part it was 0.2%.

ED talked about the issue of operation restore legacy, he thanked the army for successfully launching the operation, and I'm not sure on that one whether the involvement was constitutional or not. He also highlighted on the issue prioritizing the growth of the economy. It was a good point given the node that everyone is expecting the economy to stabilize. We need food on the table, jobs and wealthy creation. So it is very important to take note of the livelihood of people at large. He also talked about clear implementation targets of the economy, meaning that he is going to set targets for the economy, for ministers and other senior Government officials.

Solution 1

Especially the economic line ministries those are critical for the positive growth of the economy for example tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure development and mining. He also talked about easy way of doing business and courting honest investors. The previous regime was like a mafia gangster where they would just grab properties and assets of investors, and our country lost a lot of minerals to dubious investors who pretended like investors so it is important to take note of such grey areas.

Solution 2

The legal implications are also very important. One would want to know whether they are real investors. Do they have clean backgrounds? It is also important to have background checks on these investors before engaging them. One other area is of Zanu PF officials who go using the back door to seek for protection fees from investors purporting to be fronts for Zimbabwe. We have ministry of Mines and Justice that are responsible for paper work for investors so why then would you seek protection fees from investors? So I think President Mnagagwa should quickly move in to address that one.

Policy Inconsistency

The President talked about the issue of policy consistency. He talked about it repeatedly meaning that is the root problem of our economy. We can't have ministers from the same Government issuing different statements regarding policy matters.

Solution 3

There is need for the President to have a round table with business community, potential investors, diplomats, academics, church groups, civic bodies and policy makers and have their input before any implementation so that there will be clear parameters regarding policy matters in our country. It is also very important for the President to consult first before making any moves; this will help him to select good and sound views before coming up with a final decision. He also talked about investment Laws, they should be relaxed so that investors will be courted easily, issue of property rights and also human rights. Previous regime was having problems with courting investors. We don't want thugs in the Government who go around grabbing people's assets and properties for this will tarnish the image of our country.

Partisan Politics

The idea is to bring everyone on board and work together for the betterment of our country and people. This issue of MDC and Zanu must come to an end, we are the people of Zimbabwe, let's put the interests of Zimbabweans at heart. Let's move together and build our nation. So in other words the President highlighted some grey areas of political conflict within our internal politics in Zimbabwe. It is very important and critical to do away with partisan politics when implementing the economic recovery program.

Re-Engagement Plan With the International Community

He touched one of the most critical areas which Mugabe never wanted to hear about. Mugabe never talked positive things about the west and I think Mnagagwa has learnt his lesson; he would not want to tarnish his image there by courting the international community. So this means he will deal with everyone so long it is beneficial to all Zimbabweans.

I Felt the President Should Have Addressed This One

I didn't hear President talking about the internal and external debt of our Government. How then do you do business with other countries without providing the state of our accounts? I thought there are structural adjustments already under way? Look here we have serious debts how are we going to address them? We need to know as tax payers, we have the right to know who is owed by Zimbabwe, and whom do we owe? I believe the previous regime led by Mugabe was in the habit of borrowing every time and it was also important for ED and team to address the debt plan and at the same time the financial status of our country.

Youth Vocational Training Centers

Let's hope these centers will not be used for torturing civilians and opposing figures in society as was in the past. I buy the idea of these training centers with one clear objective of empowering young people. He also talked about entrepreneurship which is a good idea to all young people. I think tomorrow I will touch on the issue of Government tenders must benefit all Zimbabweans including young people and women in society. He also emphasized the issue of corruption that it will be dealt with right away. He also said there will hot lines for communication directly with him, for him to get first-hand information of what exactly is on the ground which is good. He talked about electoral reforms as well. He also talked about transparency which is good.

Hard Working

I liked it when he talked about hard working. Everyone must enjoy the fruits of hard working, meaning you have to earn where you worked for earnestly.

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Head of Southern Institute of Policy Analysis and Research – SIPAR TRUST, which is responsible for policy analysis and research. He is also an academic and researcher. He holds a BA, MA from Solusi University, and he also holds a Masters of Development Studies from University of Lusaka, Zambia. He is currently enrolled at University of KwaZulu Natal University in South Africa (PHD in Development Studies). He is also an advisor to many financial and political institutions within and outside Zimbabwe. He can be contacted at southerninstitutepar@gmail.com