Opinion / Columnist
Reforms must be all encompassing
13 Jul 2019 at 08:07hrs | Views
THE call for electoral reforms by the independent elections watchdog, Elections Resource Centre (ERC), could not have come at a more critical time.
This is in view of the economic difficulties being experienced in the country, whose repercussions on the ordinary citizens are far-reaching.
It is a part of the natural law that the economy of any country follows its politics, so there can never be binding economic development in Zimbabwe without the necessary reforms that will attract international capital, given our desperate need for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Most investors look at the politics of a nation before committing their investments, and no amount of international whitewashing through fancy public relations campaigns will help unless we first deal with what matters the most.
Foreign governments and investors do not rely on public relations campaigns to be attracted to a nation, but will solicit views and opinions of their diplomatic representatives based in Harare.
The rate at which things have been going down under the President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration is indicative of a lot of increased loss of confidence in the new establishment.
The people of Zimbabwe no longer have confidence and trust in their governance systems and as long as the government does not address those fundamental, their efforts will just go to waste.
So far, the government had tried to use piece-meal solutions because of the tendency to focus just on the economic side of the equation while ignoring the political side. Dealing with the politics should also include inclusive dialogue involving all key stakeholders in the country's politics, including the MDC.
In Sudan, for instance, the country's military leaders have just reached an agreement with the opposition alliance to share power until elections are held. The two sides agreed to rotate control of the sovereign council for just over three years because they realise that the situation in the country is untenable.
There is no pointing in insisting on holding on to power when it is clear that nothing is really working. Power should be a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
It should be used to better the lives and economic fortunes of the ordinary people.
Lessons abound in Africa and elsewhere on some of the options that the government can explore to pull the country out of the current political and economic
gridlock.
The winner-takes-all business many look good in politics, but economics goes by a different set of rules.
Both the Zanu-PF government and the MDC need to find each other so they can work together for the good of the nation.
This is in view of the economic difficulties being experienced in the country, whose repercussions on the ordinary citizens are far-reaching.
It is a part of the natural law that the economy of any country follows its politics, so there can never be binding economic development in Zimbabwe without the necessary reforms that will attract international capital, given our desperate need for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Most investors look at the politics of a nation before committing their investments, and no amount of international whitewashing through fancy public relations campaigns will help unless we first deal with what matters the most.
Foreign governments and investors do not rely on public relations campaigns to be attracted to a nation, but will solicit views and opinions of their diplomatic representatives based in Harare.
The rate at which things have been going down under the President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration is indicative of a lot of increased loss of confidence in the new establishment.
The people of Zimbabwe no longer have confidence and trust in their governance systems and as long as the government does not address those fundamental, their efforts will just go to waste.
In Sudan, for instance, the country's military leaders have just reached an agreement with the opposition alliance to share power until elections are held. The two sides agreed to rotate control of the sovereign council for just over three years because they realise that the situation in the country is untenable.
There is no pointing in insisting on holding on to power when it is clear that nothing is really working. Power should be a means to an end rather than an end in itself.
It should be used to better the lives and economic fortunes of the ordinary people.
Lessons abound in Africa and elsewhere on some of the options that the government can explore to pull the country out of the current political and economic
gridlock.
The winner-takes-all business many look good in politics, but economics goes by a different set of rules.
Both the Zanu-PF government and the MDC need to find each other so they can work together for the good of the nation.
Source - newsday
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.
