AfDB should not bail out corrupt Zanu PF regime - PDP
15 Nov 2016 at 17:25hrs | Views
As reported in The Zimbabwe Independent of November 11 2016, the Board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) will meet on December 7 to consider the rollover of Zimbabwe's debt from Pilar 11 funds.
In this meeting, the AfDB will seek authority from its shareholders who are the African governments and regional shareholders.
As at the time that Zimbabwe makes this request, the country is mired in a huge ocean of political, social and economic challenges.
On the human rights front, there are reports of arbitrary arrests, abductions and assault of human rights defenders.
Itai Dzamara remains missing and recently, the state has resorted to the unconstitutional banning public rallies and meetings.
At the same time that this is going on, the government has created a serious crisis through the raiding of Real Time Gross Services (RTGS).
In September, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa admitted to illegally raiding of the RTGS at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that is now running into billions of dollars. The result is that the fiscal
deficit is now over 12% of the GDP.
For Zimbabwe to earn the support of the international community, it must reform.
In the past we have consistently maintained that there is need for key reforms to be in place. These reforms include; security of the tenure of land, the respect of the Constitution and the rule of law, media and electoral reforms and the repealing of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.
When in September, Chinamasa tried to show some modicum of reforms in the deferment of civil servants bonuses in 2016 and reducing the salaries of top civil servants, this was shot down by Zanu PF to prove that they are not ready for reforms.
The civil servants wage bill remains the elephant in the living room and the same government wants to recruit thousands of persons to join the military service.
Another issue is corruption, which has reached endemic levels. Zimbabwe is now losing 60% in every dollar due to massive leakages through corruption.
Given the above scenario, it will be wrong for the AfDB, African governments and the international partners in supporting this rogue regime.
We therefore maintain that the AfDB must remove Zimbabwe from its agenda of its meeting on 7 December.
Further, we ask that all the governments with a conscience must stand up to the brutal regime in Zimbabwe.
We also want to inform all governments that their support of this corrupt government, any future democratic government in Zimbabwe will consider such loans as audacious debts and will also not honour the same.
As the People's Democratic Party (PDP), we are totally sick of the efforts of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the AfDB of continuing to seek to help a rogue regime against the ordinary citizens.
This is our country and we know what is best for the country. What is best for our country is not to support the rogue regime but rather to support democratic change, democratic reforms and a sustainable Zimbabwe.
#TogetherAnotherZimbabweIsPossible
In this meeting, the AfDB will seek authority from its shareholders who are the African governments and regional shareholders.
As at the time that Zimbabwe makes this request, the country is mired in a huge ocean of political, social and economic challenges.
On the human rights front, there are reports of arbitrary arrests, abductions and assault of human rights defenders.
Itai Dzamara remains missing and recently, the state has resorted to the unconstitutional banning public rallies and meetings.
At the same time that this is going on, the government has created a serious crisis through the raiding of Real Time Gross Services (RTGS).
In September, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa admitted to illegally raiding of the RTGS at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that is now running into billions of dollars. The result is that the fiscal
deficit is now over 12% of the GDP.
For Zimbabwe to earn the support of the international community, it must reform.
In the past we have consistently maintained that there is need for key reforms to be in place. These reforms include; security of the tenure of land, the respect of the Constitution and the rule of law, media and electoral reforms and the repealing of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act.
When in September, Chinamasa tried to show some modicum of reforms in the deferment of civil servants bonuses in 2016 and reducing the salaries of top civil servants, this was shot down by Zanu PF to prove that they are not ready for reforms.
The civil servants wage bill remains the elephant in the living room and the same government wants to recruit thousands of persons to join the military service.
Another issue is corruption, which has reached endemic levels. Zimbabwe is now losing 60% in every dollar due to massive leakages through corruption.
Given the above scenario, it will be wrong for the AfDB, African governments and the international partners in supporting this rogue regime.
We therefore maintain that the AfDB must remove Zimbabwe from its agenda of its meeting on 7 December.
Further, we ask that all the governments with a conscience must stand up to the brutal regime in Zimbabwe.
We also want to inform all governments that their support of this corrupt government, any future democratic government in Zimbabwe will consider such loans as audacious debts and will also not honour the same.
As the People's Democratic Party (PDP), we are totally sick of the efforts of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the AfDB of continuing to seek to help a rogue regime against the ordinary citizens.
This is our country and we know what is best for the country. What is best for our country is not to support the rogue regime but rather to support democratic change, democratic reforms and a sustainable Zimbabwe.
#TogetherAnotherZimbabweIsPossible
