News / National
Nkosana Moyo talks on his Zimbabwe vision
27 Jul 2017 at 06:31hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's new entrant in the 2018 presidential election, Nkosana Moyo, says the country needs a new kind of politics that will stop the ongoing suffering that has left the country with 90% unemployment.
In a wide-ranging speech delivered at the Royal Institute of International Affairs or Chatham House in London, and attended by the United States and Canadian embassies, Moyo said it was time for a 50-50 Cabinet allocation between men and women, as well as giving a chance to the youth to participate in politics.
He said politicians had, over the years, connived to divide Zimbabweans into tribes, political parties and classes.
Moyo said Zimbabwe was where it is today because democracy had been eroded, with State institutions like the army, the police, the judiciary and the Central Intelligence Organisation having been captured by a political party.
"The immediate consequence is that these institutions are no longer protecting the citizens, but protect Zanu-PF," he said.
Moyo said Zanu-PF members were being treated as first-class citizens with access to opportunities, while opposition supporters were treated like second-class citizens.
He also said he would look at the size of the civil service wage bill and eliminate any ghost workers, adding that the current government "has no clue" on how to grow the economy.
The former minister said under his leadership, the country would "put across policies that attract investment".
Moyo said leaders must walk the talk and his plan was to reduce the size of the government.
"Zimbabwe cannot justify a government of more than 30 ministers," he said.
Moyo said his Cabinet would have a maximum of 20 members and would not have deputy ministers.
He, however, wants to introduce junior ministers made up of the youth under 35 years old.
This, he said, would be an apprenticeship for future leaders.
He added that innovation and technological advancement would depend on how much space was created for the younger generation.
Moyo said political conflict was taking the country back.
"We want Zimbabweans to understand that competition should not be a war," he said, adding he disagreed with President Robert Mugabe and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but "that doesn't mean they are enemies".
On the rural vote, Moyo said all citizens should be given the benefit of the doubt and be respected.
He said his parents could not read, but that did not mean they could not understand issues.
The former Industry and Trade minister said there was no evidence that any section of the Zimbabwean society needed to be "educated" to know solutions to their problems.
On foreign policy, Moyo said his government would be guided by the needs of Zimbabwe and those in the Diaspora would be treated as essential contributors to the economy.
He said Zimbabwe did not need the number of embassies it currently had because it could not afford all of them.
On the subject of his business links, Moyo said he had resigned from the various global corporate boards that he was part of in order to avoid conflict of interest.
He said he was in the process of handing over the leadership of the Mandela Institute of Development Studies that he founded.
On funding the election campaign, Moyo said he would only rely on resources from Zimbabweans.
He said it was wrong for an election to be seen as a money-making project and it was part of the culture that needed to change.
Moyo said he had demonstrated that he could live within his means by refusing to fly business class when he was Industry and International Trade minister.
He said he also refused to be treated as a VIP when travelling locally on government business.
Meanwhile, Moyo's Alliance for the People's Agenda (APA) has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at mobilising resources for his presidential bid.
Party official, Albert Gumbo, confirmed the development saying: "APA is a movement for all Zimbabweans and we are inviting them to participate in this exciting journey towards the restoration of Zimbabwe to a place of honour among the nations.
"So we are asking for their financial contribution no matter how small and their vote, of course."
The campaign is targeting to raise at least $500 000.
In a wide-ranging speech delivered at the Royal Institute of International Affairs or Chatham House in London, and attended by the United States and Canadian embassies, Moyo said it was time for a 50-50 Cabinet allocation between men and women, as well as giving a chance to the youth to participate in politics.
He said politicians had, over the years, connived to divide Zimbabweans into tribes, political parties and classes.
Moyo said Zimbabwe was where it is today because democracy had been eroded, with State institutions like the army, the police, the judiciary and the Central Intelligence Organisation having been captured by a political party.
"The immediate consequence is that these institutions are no longer protecting the citizens, but protect Zanu-PF," he said.
Moyo said Zanu-PF members were being treated as first-class citizens with access to opportunities, while opposition supporters were treated like second-class citizens.
He also said he would look at the size of the civil service wage bill and eliminate any ghost workers, adding that the current government "has no clue" on how to grow the economy.
The former minister said under his leadership, the country would "put across policies that attract investment".
Moyo said leaders must walk the talk and his plan was to reduce the size of the government.
"Zimbabwe cannot justify a government of more than 30 ministers," he said.
Moyo said his Cabinet would have a maximum of 20 members and would not have deputy ministers.
He, however, wants to introduce junior ministers made up of the youth under 35 years old.
This, he said, would be an apprenticeship for future leaders.
He added that innovation and technological advancement would depend on how much space was created for the younger generation.
Moyo said political conflict was taking the country back.
"We want Zimbabweans to understand that competition should not be a war," he said, adding he disagreed with President Robert Mugabe and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but "that doesn't mean they are enemies".
On the rural vote, Moyo said all citizens should be given the benefit of the doubt and be respected.
He said his parents could not read, but that did not mean they could not understand issues.
The former Industry and Trade minister said there was no evidence that any section of the Zimbabwean society needed to be "educated" to know solutions to their problems.
On foreign policy, Moyo said his government would be guided by the needs of Zimbabwe and those in the Diaspora would be treated as essential contributors to the economy.
He said Zimbabwe did not need the number of embassies it currently had because it could not afford all of them.
On the subject of his business links, Moyo said he had resigned from the various global corporate boards that he was part of in order to avoid conflict of interest.
He said he was in the process of handing over the leadership of the Mandela Institute of Development Studies that he founded.
On funding the election campaign, Moyo said he would only rely on resources from Zimbabweans.
He said it was wrong for an election to be seen as a money-making project and it was part of the culture that needed to change.
Moyo said he had demonstrated that he could live within his means by refusing to fly business class when he was Industry and International Trade minister.
He said he also refused to be treated as a VIP when travelling locally on government business.
Meanwhile, Moyo's Alliance for the People's Agenda (APA) has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at mobilising resources for his presidential bid.
Party official, Albert Gumbo, confirmed the development saying: "APA is a movement for all Zimbabweans and we are inviting them to participate in this exciting journey towards the restoration of Zimbabwe to a place of honour among the nations.
"So we are asking for their financial contribution no matter how small and their vote, of course."
The campaign is targeting to raise at least $500 000.
Source - newsday
