Failure of governance affects all communities, no one is spared

Once upon a time Zimbabwe used to boast of sound and well articulated economic policies where the poor citizens could afford to put a decent meal on their table.

Zimbabwe's economy is no doubt Agro- based and every sector of business is entirely intertwined to this status qou. The  white commercial and communal farmers both produced  enough to sell and export.

Land reform in Zimbabwe officially began in 1980 with the signing of the Lancaster House Agreement, as an effort to more equitably distribute land between black subsistence farmers and white Zimbabweans of European ancestry, who had traditionally enjoyed superior political and economic status.

The programme's targets were intended to alter the ethnic balance of land ownership. Inequalities in land ownership were inflated by a growing overpopulation problem, depletion of over-utilised tracts, and escalating poverty in subsistence areas parallel with the under-utilisation of land on commercial farms. However, the predominantly white commercial sector also provided a livelihood for over 30% of the paid workers. The land question continued to be a subject of debate both in parliament and the communities.

I would like to take a critical look at what  the Zanu PF government did when it revisited the land question so as to strike the balance between the state land and the white commercial farmers. Though I cannot take anything away from that noble idea to empower the black masses. I believe  on the other hand that the re- distribution of the land was emotionally and haphazardly carried out  by  Cde Robert Mugabe's government  and used it as a springbox to garner more support of his fading political  party and clinging on to power.  It only  benefited  a few individuals and greed politicians.

In 1997 the late  Dr Chenjarai Hunzvi leader of the ex combatants and war veterans forced Cde Robert Mugabe to release some money to compensate the war veterans. The President and his government failed to control the war veterans and they vowed to meet him head on. They promised to march to the state house to confront Mugabe himself so that he could solve their problems.  Mugabe was later pressurised to release $50 000 each for a war veteran in order to quell their problems.

Unfortunately that was when the Zimbabwean dollar hit the lowest mark and tumbled against the American dollar because that money was not budgeted for.

In 1998 Svosve village in Mashonaland East Province ignited the first  land invasion. Several white commercial farmers who contributed to the fiscal policy of the GDP were displaced. It later spread like veld fire across the country and the government failed to handle it.  The government tried to unleash the police to stop the invasions but  could not do so to their own kith and kiln.  It was a Catch 22 situation where Cde Robert

Mugabe's government faced a tirade of challenges and political instability.  This followed the formation of (MDC) Movement for Democratic Change led by former Trade Unionist Mr Morgan Tsvangirayi and the party was launched in 1999 September.

That was one good example of poor governance and mal-administration  faced by Zimbabwe when it failed to foresee the impending challenges of not attending to such very important issues of governance and it negatively affected the farmers, their communities and the  industry at large.  The economy got worse as farm invasion escalated throughout the country.

Industry production started performing below par and huge loses were recorded.
Money in the government was being corruptly used and funds embezzelment was the order of the day. A very good example is a case of the late former Minister of Agriculture Kumbirayi Kangai who stole from the GMB parastatal and was let scotfree.

Good governance is an indeterminate term used in the international development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources. Governance is "the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)". The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other sectors of society.
The concept of "good governance" often emerges as a model to compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and political bodies.

The concept centers on the responsibility of governments and governing bodies to meet the needs of the masses as opposed to select groups in society.

Good governance is a tenet of democracy and it is the prerogative task of the government to implement it. From that period until now, we have experienced poor governance through poor economic policies, corruption and lack of trust which has grossly affected every facet of industry and commerce.

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