Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe's excuses hollow
10 Jul 2016 at 15:31hrs | Views
If Zimbabweans needed confirmation that government is out of touch with reality, it came on Friday in Bindura.
It came via President Robert Mugabe during his rally in the Mashonaland Central capital.
Mugabe at first appeared to have chosen the right notes when he admitted to government's delays in paying civil servants and promising to rectify the situation.
But his ''some of them don't understand'' jibe was a kick in the teeth to government workers who have had to endure so many troubles as a result of their employer's failure to pay on them on time.
This is the same employer who has been failing to remit deductions to a number of service providers of behalf of its servants.
On Friday, Mugabe would have done well to address their grievances and assure them that their salaries would be paid on time.
Sanctions and use of the US dollar have nothing to do with the problems that the majority of Zimbabweans — including those civil servants — are facing to earn a decent living.
His excuses are hollow when we put into perspective the looting of $15 billion from the mining of diamonds in Marange.
In his own words, Zimbabwe lost $15 billion to miners. This happened under his watch and he did not do anything to correct it.
Why would he now expect the civil servants to accept that Zimbabwe is not printing its own money and that sanctions are responsible?
Zimbabwe is, annually, losing close to $2 billion through corruption and despite evidence fingering the culprits, the leakages have not stopped.
Every well-meaning Zimbabwean would expect Mugabe to crack on corruption to stem leakages and increase revenue into treasury coffers.
So when Mugabe gives excuses such as using the US dollar which we are not printing and sanctions, most which are still intact, does that mean civil servants will continue to have staggered pay dates?
Despite the criticism levelled against him, Zimbabweans still expect their president to inspire confidence.
But in the absence of a highly demonstrable plan by Mugabe and his government, it is difficult to earn the trust of a nation that has endured so much pain without respite from a government they elected into power.
This points to a tragic loss of leadership which has seen Zimbabwe plunging into poverty and state of hopelessness under the Zanu-PF government.
It came via President Robert Mugabe during his rally in the Mashonaland Central capital.
Mugabe at first appeared to have chosen the right notes when he admitted to government's delays in paying civil servants and promising to rectify the situation.
But his ''some of them don't understand'' jibe was a kick in the teeth to government workers who have had to endure so many troubles as a result of their employer's failure to pay on them on time.
This is the same employer who has been failing to remit deductions to a number of service providers of behalf of its servants.
On Friday, Mugabe would have done well to address their grievances and assure them that their salaries would be paid on time.
Sanctions and use of the US dollar have nothing to do with the problems that the majority of Zimbabweans — including those civil servants — are facing to earn a decent living.
His excuses are hollow when we put into perspective the looting of $15 billion from the mining of diamonds in Marange.
In his own words, Zimbabwe lost $15 billion to miners. This happened under his watch and he did not do anything to correct it.
Why would he now expect the civil servants to accept that Zimbabwe is not printing its own money and that sanctions are responsible?
Zimbabwe is, annually, losing close to $2 billion through corruption and despite evidence fingering the culprits, the leakages have not stopped.
Every well-meaning Zimbabwean would expect Mugabe to crack on corruption to stem leakages and increase revenue into treasury coffers.
So when Mugabe gives excuses such as using the US dollar which we are not printing and sanctions, most which are still intact, does that mean civil servants will continue to have staggered pay dates?
Despite the criticism levelled against him, Zimbabweans still expect their president to inspire confidence.
But in the absence of a highly demonstrable plan by Mugabe and his government, it is difficult to earn the trust of a nation that has endured so much pain without respite from a government they elected into power.
This points to a tragic loss of leadership which has seen Zimbabwe plunging into poverty and state of hopelessness under the Zanu-PF government.
Source - dailynews
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