Mugabe demand urgent implementation of indigenisation to placate restive cronies - it better work

I must admit, I did not understand why President Mugabe was so keen to see the Zanu-PF's indigenisation policies implemented.

"Come January and its 2016, that stubbornness and resistance we say should end in 2015…2016, we will not accept a company which refuses and rejects our policy of indigenisation and empowerment," said President Mugabe is his Vic Falls Conference closing speech.

I have since met one of the conference delegates, he has always supported the indigenisation laws but in the last few years his enthusiasm had started to flag. The President's words and other discussion during or after the conference reignited his enthusiasm.

He assured me there will be a lot more Zimbabweans who will be economically empowered from 2016 onward as more and more foreign owned companies "see the advantages of joint ownership".

He is aware of the huge profits the few in the party with the right political connections are getting from the diamond mining operations in Marange and Chiadzwa. He is hoping a similar thing can be extended in other areas too. He would like to be involved is such mining ventures.

When I reminded him that the mining activities in Marange were not of great financial benefit to the few but not the majority of Zimbabweans since Minister of Finance Patrick Chinamasa was not getting a dollar in tax. He did not seem to be particularly bothered.

It seems to me President Mugabe has committed his government to demand the full implementation of the indigenisation laws to assure party delegates who have waited for the last eight years to see the economic empowerment in Marange extended to other areas too. I know my friend is feeling the ill effects of the country's worsening economic situation, like millions of the other Zimbabweans, and is therefore desperate for money. Still I do not see many foreign investors flood in to sign bounty hunter contracts operating in Marange to mine something platinum, a long term project, labour intensive and with a very large capital expenditure on plant and equipment.

Until the appointment of his nephew, Patrick Zhuwao as Minister of Youth and Indigenisation in August 2015, many people though President Mugabe was just waiting for the most opportune moment to announce the scrapping on the indigenisation laws. Minister Zhuwao seemed to be the only one out on a limb with his call to revive the law with senior cabinet member like Minister Patrick Chinamasa contradicting him in public.

Still President Mugabe's definitive announce in Victoria Falls, complete with the date the 2008 law must be finally be implemented, just weeks away, has closed the subject and added a degree of urgency. There is no doubt those in the party who had hoped to be economically empowered by law were getting restless hence the urgency.

President Mugabe promised povo 2.2 million new jobs in five years in 2013 and now, half way through the five years, he is yet to create one job! His promise of empowering many of his Zanu-PF party delegate is one he will have to keep however or else next year's party conference will not be as tranquil and sedated as this conference even with an even better supply of meat and beer.  


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Patrick Guramatunhu <patguramatunhu@gmail.com