Opinion / Columnist
President ED Mnangagwa is finished
24 Oct 2018 at 04:49hrs | Views
The day Tuesday 23 October 2018 will never be forgotten in the economic history of Zimbabwe. It shall be remembered as a 'dark' day, a day when ZANU PF government officially announced the collapse of the Zimbabwe's economy. The government led by ED Mnangagwa has given license for companies to import bottled water, shoe polish and other basic commodities. Therefore this piece seeks to give president ED Mnangagwa a strong signal that his days are numbered if he is not going to dissolve his cabinet and form an inclusive government within six months.
I am convinced that I am not the only Zimbabwean shocked by the basic items in the importation list. It is a shame to a country that used to be a breadbasket of Africa to import basic agriculture products when ZANU PF government invested billions of dollars in 'command agriculture'. Zimbabweans told ZANU PF government that their land reform program was shambolic, we told ZANU PF that their 'Hondo Yeminda' would eventually become 'Hondo Yenzara'. ZANU PF government is a disaster and should be condemned by both the dead and the living Zimbabweans, this government systemically manufactured poverty for generations to come.
Of the products on the list of imports, 98.9% of them are agriculture products. ZANU PF government is embarrassing us, they came up with the slogan 'Zimbabwe is Open for Business' (may be the business of importing bottled water and shoe polish) they knew what they were saying. Among the items to be imported apart from bottled water and shoe polish are animal oils/fats, baked beans, cereals, cheese, coffee creamers, cooking oil, crude soya beans oil, wheat flour, jam, margarine, salad creams, mayonnaise, soap, sugar, yoghurts and other embarrassing agriculture items for Zimbabwe to import.
Mr. President ED and his ZANU PF government should tell the nation on what happened to command agriculture? A lot of cash was invested towards command agriculture why should Zimbabwe import bottled water? Where did the ZANU PF government send the alleged billions invested in command agriculture? Was the cash not absorbed by 'Queen B' and top ZANU PF officials? Zimbabwe invested a lot of money on the so called Gideon Gono's Agriculture Inputs Scheme. Where did the money go? Zimbabweans are waiting for answers.
Where is Mthuli Ncube? Is this a NEW MONETARY POLICY of the government to import water and shoe polish? I do not see how the ambitions of Mthuli Ncube are going to be achieved in a country where water and shoe polish are imported. Mthuli should think of revising his monetary policy again because the recent announcement of (embarrassing imports) do not support his goals. I am no longer patriotic to Zimbabwe, how can I be patriotic to a father who does not provide family needs, better to look for an artificial father.
Way Forward?
The first step for Zimbabweans to do (especially ED and his supporters) is to accept that the economy has collapsed. Acceptance is an important step because it will help us to move forward. If the situation remains like this, president ED will face rebellion from the masses and even from the latest ZANU PF faction called 'Team BoB'.
The most viable solution is for president ED to dissolve his cabinet immediately and form a unity government. If ED fails to do that, he will regret because the conflict has already reached a boiling point. According to Karl Marks, when conflict reaches a boiling point, change is certain. In case of Zimbabwe, poverty and suffering among the citizens have reached a boiling point and ED has to be careful. The formation of the unity government will restore dignity to the economy and save ED from embarrassment by masses. 'It is possible for people to die with a 'person' rather than dying with poverty/sufferings' This is my last advice to president ED Mnangagwa. The nation is divided, Army on its own, CIO on its own, Police on its own, Chamisa/opposition supporters on their own and now 'Team BoB' has emerged. Zimbabwe is now ripe for disaster, ZANU PF government has been working hard creating conditions conducive for rebellion. President ED should therefore use his wisdom to avoid embarrassment just like what happened to the former president R.G Mugabe. United we stand divided we fall.
Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist, can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
I am convinced that I am not the only Zimbabwean shocked by the basic items in the importation list. It is a shame to a country that used to be a breadbasket of Africa to import basic agriculture products when ZANU PF government invested billions of dollars in 'command agriculture'. Zimbabweans told ZANU PF government that their land reform program was shambolic, we told ZANU PF that their 'Hondo Yeminda' would eventually become 'Hondo Yenzara'. ZANU PF government is a disaster and should be condemned by both the dead and the living Zimbabweans, this government systemically manufactured poverty for generations to come.
Of the products on the list of imports, 98.9% of them are agriculture products. ZANU PF government is embarrassing us, they came up with the slogan 'Zimbabwe is Open for Business' (may be the business of importing bottled water and shoe polish) they knew what they were saying. Among the items to be imported apart from bottled water and shoe polish are animal oils/fats, baked beans, cereals, cheese, coffee creamers, cooking oil, crude soya beans oil, wheat flour, jam, margarine, salad creams, mayonnaise, soap, sugar, yoghurts and other embarrassing agriculture items for Zimbabwe to import.
Where is Mthuli Ncube? Is this a NEW MONETARY POLICY of the government to import water and shoe polish? I do not see how the ambitions of Mthuli Ncube are going to be achieved in a country where water and shoe polish are imported. Mthuli should think of revising his monetary policy again because the recent announcement of (embarrassing imports) do not support his goals. I am no longer patriotic to Zimbabwe, how can I be patriotic to a father who does not provide family needs, better to look for an artificial father.
Way Forward?
The first step for Zimbabweans to do (especially ED and his supporters) is to accept that the economy has collapsed. Acceptance is an important step because it will help us to move forward. If the situation remains like this, president ED will face rebellion from the masses and even from the latest ZANU PF faction called 'Team BoB'.
The most viable solution is for president ED to dissolve his cabinet immediately and form a unity government. If ED fails to do that, he will regret because the conflict has already reached a boiling point. According to Karl Marks, when conflict reaches a boiling point, change is certain. In case of Zimbabwe, poverty and suffering among the citizens have reached a boiling point and ED has to be careful. The formation of the unity government will restore dignity to the economy and save ED from embarrassment by masses. 'It is possible for people to die with a 'person' rather than dying with poverty/sufferings' This is my last advice to president ED Mnangagwa. The nation is divided, Army on its own, CIO on its own, Police on its own, Chamisa/opposition supporters on their own and now 'Team BoB' has emerged. Zimbabwe is now ripe for disaster, ZANU PF government has been working hard creating conditions conducive for rebellion. President ED should therefore use his wisdom to avoid embarrassment just like what happened to the former president R.G Mugabe. United we stand divided we fall.
Don Chigumba is a mixed methods research specialist, can be found on twitter @Donchigumba
Source - Don Chigumba
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