'Jobs gaffe, expose Munangagwa's true character'

Nicolás Maduro Moros is a Venezuelan politician who has been the President of Venezuela since assuming office in 2013. Previously he served under President Hugo Chávez as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2013 and as Vice President of Venezuela from 2012 to 2013.

He was appointed to a number of positions within the Venezuelan Government under Chávez, ultimately being made Foreign Minister in 2006. He was described during this time by the state controlled media as the "most capable administrator and politician of Chávez's inner circle". After Chávez's death Maduro assumed the powers and responsibilities of the president. A 'special election' was held to elect a new president, and Nicolas Maduro won as the candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. The opposition refused to accept the results of the election, claiming election irregularities.

Since being elected president, Maduro has ruled Venezuela by decree. As a result of Chávez's policies and Maduro's continuation of them, Venezuela's socioeconomic status declined, with crime, inflation, poverty and hunger increasing. Shortages in Venezuela and decreased living standards resulted in protests beginning in 2014 that escalated into daily riots nationwide by 2016, with Maduro's popularity suffering. The loss of popularity saw the election of an opposition-led National Assembly in 2015 and a movement toward recalling Maduro in 2016, though Maduro still maintains power through loyal political bodies, such as the Supreme Court and electoral authority, as well as the military, police and secret service. Maduro, like Chávez, has been accused of authoritarian leadership with conventional media describing him as a dictator, especially following the suspension of the recall movement that was directed towards him.

Prior to his appointment to the vice presidency, Maduro had already been chosen by Chávez in 2011 to succeed him in the presidency if he were to die from cancer. This choice was made due to Maduro's loyalty to Chávez and because of his good relations with other hard-liners and the military. Chávez said that should his condition worsen and a new presidential election be called to replace him, Venezuelans should vote for Maduro to succeed him. This was the first time that Chávez named a potential successor to his movement, as well as the first time he publicly acknowledged the possibility of his demise.

Independent officials predicted that following Chávez's death, Maduro would have more difficulties politically and that instability in the country would arise. They were soon to be vindicated as the Venezuela faced a severe socioeconomic crisis during the presidency of his successor as a result of Chávez's policies and Maduro's continuation of them. Due to the country's high levels of inflation and chronic shortages of basic goods and medicines attributed to economic policies such as price controls, civil insurrection in Venezuela culminated in nonstop protests. Protestors demand the recalling of Maduro and holding of elections in the shortest possible time. A desperate Maduro continues to resist his people's demands for him to step down amidst a crippling and still worsening economic crisis where the functioning of the state has literally come to a standstill. Today almost all Venezuelan government efforts are directed in running battles with protestors on the streets of Caracas with teargas and water cannons being fired at citizens executing their constitutional right to demand a government change. Meanwhile an angry Maduro vents all his abuse and anger at the USA government blaming it for fomenting the unrest currently taking place in his country.

In Zimbabwe we also have a striking parallel to this, almost identical. Vice president Emmerson Munangagwa was not elected to his post but merely appointed to the post by the ailing Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, who obtains medical attentions in Singapore, after he has neglected the Zimbabwean health delivery system to utter collapse. Emmerson Munangagwa loyalty to the president predates Zimbabwe's 'independence'. He is also described by the state media cordially and respectfully. ED Munangagwa is also the preferred successor by the army and some quarters of the war veterans. The army and intelligence have officials in the Zimbabwe Election Commission such that it would is fairly easy for ED MUnangagwa to arm twist the election governing body to give him victory in the 2108 elections, as it is impossible, ridiculous and hopeless that RG Mugabe will run in the 2018 elections due to ill health brought about by old age . The Zanu pf government has consistently refused to implement reforms that would pave way to a fair, transparent and credible election that would give the Zimbabweans best chance to supervise the management of own affairs more directly by being able to choose leaders they can reign and work better with. What we have now is a government that does what it like and disregards the will of the people. Unelected officials never listen to the people. Their government is not government of the people.

Vice president ED Mnangagwa in his recent unilateral declaration of having created 2million jobs through Command Agriculture exposes his apathy towards the gruesome unemployment predicament most Zimbabweans find themselves in. Unemployment stands at 90%. Most Zimbabweans are unemployed and struggling to make ends meet such it is actually mockery and insulting for the Vice president to joke about 2million jobs having been created. VP Mnangagwa, who spearheads Command Agriculture does not give any evidence of the jobs, he just brags, giving himself credit for having created 2m jobs fulfilling the Zanu Pf election promise. The VP does not give how he arrived at the 'in excess of 2m jobs', but the figure coincides with the number of jobs promised by Zanu pf in its election manifesto. This is treacherous and he is doing this to the people whose life he's supposed to improve. Now he openly deceives Zimabweans.  He will go to the 2018 election falsely claiming that Zanu pf fulfilled one of its election promises. The Zanu pf dominated Zimbabwe government doctors and censors whatever figures that come from the Statistics Department which itself is also under fear and constant battering to produce data satisfactory and in line with the Robert Mugabe's agenda to keep Zimbabweans misinformed and suppressed. The first claim was that employment in Zimbabwe is around 90% and this employment is in the informal sector mainly. There is no statistic data supporting this misguided assertion. The government is currently under a huge fix as it is having difficulties paying government workers due to a highly shrunken tax revenue base. The low tax revenue base dismisses and rubbishes the government's wicked claim that the country is at 90% level of employment.

So then VP Mnangagwa is actually lying to the people who should be having the jobs he's claiming to have facilitated, but this yet these people are still unemployed and suffering. He is saying to them you are now employed, while they are still on the streets. With this attitude VP Munangagwa will never work to improve the life of the Zimbabwean, because he will choose to lie, just to remain on the job. That is highly immoral for a public official. VP Mnangwagwa's level of insensitivity is awful and inexcusable.

He acts the same way with Nicolas Maduro. He is in denial that the bad economic condition prevailing have precipitated by his government's unsound policies. It seems VP Mnangagwa will remain in this denial until people are holding day to day protests, demanding him to step down too, having been squeezed to beyond limit. Unemployment will remain and cannot be wished away CDE Mnangagwa. Genuine efforts have to be there to create employment.  If you decide to serve the people then work hard to improve their living conditions otherwise instability and unrest would prevail and you won't be able to contain the turmoil. Lying won't change their situation; it will only expose the monster you are within...