Lack of Political will has brought unnecessary calamity

We are in this mess because we have a political question which remain unanswered. The question lies on legitimacy. We have a deep deep crisis centered on legitimacy, failure by our country's electoral systems to surpass the benchmark of legitimacy.

There is need for dialogue to resolve the current impasse. Zimbabwe crisis has reached unprecedented levels, and if go unchecked can become a security matter. To be quite honest and frank, we are in this mess because of lack of political will by national leadership, and it is not a sin to admit failure.

Zimbabwe economy is literally dead and dysfunctional. We don't have any economy to talk about. Why would the State waste millions of dollars to hold dialogue consultative meetings with losers who failed even to garner 2% if combined? The honest truth is our problems are centered on our political problems.

Our problems are deep-rooted into politics and what we are likely to witness is more of political wrangles within Zanu-PF Government.

The Government has so many inconsistencies and it is buffeted by incapacitation and inconsistencies. How many people were threatened with arrests? People are still walking scot free in Harare.

Those criminals who were purported to be surrounding Mugabe are still roaming the streets of Harare? We are experiencing galloping inflation and we are likely to experience the 2008 scenario where the Government was declared insolvent. We cannot have a situation where we rely on handouts and donations from other countries.

Zimbabwe has so many discoveries and we have many precious minerals, highest number of technocrats in Africa, we are the largest platinum producer in Africa, if not in the world, so what is our problem?

My suggestion to Zimbabwe Government our problems are not economic, but political. We have political question which remained unanswered. It is up to the leadership of Zimbabwe, to open doors for dialogue which can save this country from total collapse.

Imagine how much was wasted on these Chimanimani and Chipinge trips with all 2018 losing candidates, and all the purported dialogue meetings at State House and HICC. What a waste of taxpayer's money, yet we know the political impasse is between Nelson Chamisa and Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The unfortunate part is, Mnangagwa and Chamisa will not experience such toxic poverty situation, and it is the mass which will experience the untold suffering. I was embarrassed when I watched the State broadcaster, ZTV, giving a false report that we are experiencing the current load shedding in Zimbabwe because of the levels of water in Kariba.

My question is, why is it Zambia is not experiencing such problems?

Zanu-PF Government knows very well that without genuine dialogue we are going nowhere in this country? It would be prudent to admit failure and pave way for a national consensus by allowing genuine dialogue which involves academics, policy makers, development practitioners, civic society, business community and politicians across political divide. I was suggesting to come up with a new initiative of a national dialogue forum (NDF), to pave way for new reconciliatory tone in our country. Our country is poised by toxic and indecisive politics, and we are heavily divided.

From what we are experiencing, Mnangagwa is being sabotaged by his own political stalwarts and hardliners within the system who are resisting his type of Governance.

The best is lets pave way for a genuine National Dialogue Forum in Zimbabwe from political leadership, civic society, academics, Policy makers, Development practitioners, academics and business community. The day when this national dialogue forum is going to be announced, Zimbabwe will rise on its feet again.

Lack of confidence

There is lack of confidence in the markets. Markets are reacting and they are failing to accept the current scenario.

The role of the market is to stabilize the economy and speak with one voice. There is a growing tendency of resistance. We are using electronic money, foreign nationals are keeping huge sums of money in homes and business community is not banking money, and we have a huge crisis mainly because there is lack of confidence within even the system.

This is as a result of legitimacy problems evolving around disputed polls held on the 30th of July, 2018. The election was highly contested and disputed. In a nutshell, business does not have faith in the current leadership. It is highly contested.

As a Policy Maker I'm suggesting the following:

1.    A National Dialogue Forum (NDF) must be established to resolve the legitimacy problem

2.    We have a political question which remain unanswered, therefore the two advocates, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa must come to the negotiating table

3.    Fire all corrupt ministers
4.    Remove incompetent cabal within the civil service
5.    Cut the size of the expenditure
6.    Policy consistency is key
7.    Reduce the size of the cabinet to 15
8.    Foreign policy must be clear
9.    Introduce institutional reforms
10.    Remove deputy ministers
11.    Remove senate
12.    Redirect expenditure to critical areas such as health, education, tourism and industry
13.    Merge some ministries to cut costs
14.    Focus must be on industry
15.    Privatization of mines, state companies is key
16.    Bring competent people on board
17.    Zimbabwe Government lacks research. introduce Zimbabwe Research and Development Institute ( ZRDI)
18.    Re-engagement plan must be inclusive
19.    Disclose the nature of our debt, both external and internal
20.    Disclosure of assets by public officials
21.    I'm suggesting we must sell at least 20 mines, each pegged at between 500 million/ 1 billion
22.    What we need in Zimbabwe is hard currency. Flow of currency in the main stream economy
23.    Policy Indaba must be on cards
24.    Technocrats must run the Government
25.    Infrastructure Development is key and economic

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Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Global Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (GIPAR), He is an academic, Policy Maker and he is studying Doctor of Philosophy at Women's University of Africa, he holds Certificate in Project Management from University of Zimbabwe and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com