Three Steps Forward and Ten steps Backwards (PART II)

   
I got some feedback by the some concerned citizens that some questions to the MPs were lenient and requested that I make it tough for the Ministers. I promised to make it tough.

Also I postponed on three occasions to address the ministers in the parliament as they were excuses that there were busy with other things or were not yet ready for my questions hence couldn't accommodate me. I waited patiently till everybody was there. Because the President allowed me four hours, I tried my level best to come up with good questions, most of which were suggested by some of the citizens who responded.

Many in the parliament were not happy to see me, which did not bother me as I was on a fact finding mission.

The Minister of Indigenisation, Youth Development and Empowerment was first on the list. I wanted him to explain briefly what the indigenisation meant for the people of Zimbabwe.  I value and believe in the fact that Zimbabwe's communities benefit a lot especially from mines and this can happen if we are serious about it and set well defined standards.  I have watched companies like the one for Emeralds in Sandawana, ZMDC, Mimosa etc.; some have succeeded in building houses for their workers, paying below and above market salaries for many and a few respectively. Some companies boasting of the only school they build for a community in which they mine (last decade), providing free transport for the community, doing parties for communities (BRAAI) as enough. Former president of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki once alleged that trans √ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨" national companies especially mines only discloses a tenth of their actually profit in their financial statements.

With confidence he told me that it is a good move as for the first time Zimbabweans are now controlling their economy. We will create millionaires in the country, communities will benefit; a win- win situation for everybody.  
 
I still have a problem as it is not well defined. I wanted to know as to how for example the community of Zvishavane was going to benefit from their large shares in Mimosa, when he talks about the community of Zvishavane, which communities are we talking about, a selected few or the whole, is it a committee set by this community and if so who elect the representatives, who will monitor their shares, who will determine what is to be done in their respective community, will they decide as a whole community what to develop first? I went on to ask if the community will have their separate account, independently monitored and audited, who will help advise them with short term and long term objectives?  
 
I promptly and frankly told him that it will be good for communities to have the lion's share as opposed to individual Zimbabweans as greed, amassing of the wealth would be the order of the day. Also I wanted to know if top government officials have an upper hand in this, how they would be stopped from enriching themselves at the expense of the Zimbabwean communities? I think politicians should be excluded from such benefits.

The minister requested that I give him more time (a day or two) and he would get back to me with appropriate answers and he would email me the document with answers some of my above questions.  I thanked him for his time.

Next was the Minister of Finance. To me he plays a very important role and correct decisions by him mean a booming economy. I wanted to avoid the fact that he is from an opposition part but it was not possible to separate that fact.

I wanted to know if we have sufficient funds to sustain our economy and what he was doing to ensure that the country is financial viable.

He said the financial side is below par and a lot is needed to be done. Currently he said they are benefiting a lot from toll fees, duties from imported goods mostly automobiles. He admitted that most companies are not yet in full swing, still struggling to eradicate black market but on track, hence still a few tax payers in the labour market.  He said they are still working on some challenges which are prohibiting them from maximising profits especially on duty tariffs because of corrupt custom officials.  

I thanked him and also added another question. I wanted to know as to how he was distributing the little they had, I was impressed mostly by the BUDGET SPEECH which is done every now and then in South Africa and hoped that we were on course.

He told me that some politicians cannot be trusted. According to him, he said once giving the opposition large sums of money for various projects, they use it for their selfish benefits, election campaigns etc. He went on to say that mostly he gives only a certain limit and in most cases, such top government officials do not report back as to how the money was used, no receipts accompanying as the case maybe.

I agreed with him that he was in a difficult position, but he was making it very difficult for himself. I told him my piece of mind, that I do not see why the money should be transferred into another government department account especially for projects especially if such departments are hard, irresponsible and unaccountable. Sure the Finance Department can do more.  Imagine the City of Gweru wants to embark on a certain project, why not work with them in the whole tendering process, pay directly to companies involved etc. I told him that we should not punish deserving communities because government officials do not see eye to eye with other opposition parties. I also told him  while departments depends on such finances, probably it is wise to set a limit say for instance, $1 million can go straight into their accounts say for operation requirements, civil servants salaries etc.

Freezing funds for opposition without clarifying is not good for the country (sanctioning communities of basic necessities) as to me he is trying to prove a point, and people who are affected negatively by this deliberation are ordinary citizens. Certainly auditors can be used for officials who misuse and the country should know of such people, hold them responsible, accountable and punish such.  There were lots of booing from the floor and I thought "MY WORD"; there was a lot of tension than I thought. I thanked him for his time and reminded him that community development heavily depends on him.

I turned my attention on both the Minister of Home Affairs. I told them that in my view, their department is the worst corrupt in the country (registrar, police and immigration).  Certainly with two people sharing a top post, it should be easy? I have seen a lot of poor people struggling mostly in getting birth certificates and identity documents where one is told to bring somebody and if money is involved, especially on passports it is worrying. For immigration officials and police officials, it is also worse. I was also worried about the fact that when Zimbabweans are deported from countries such as South Africa and Botswana, what is the role the department in assisting such at the Beit-bridge and Plumtree border posts?

I was told that there are working on it without a lot of details. They praised their department for doing well in raising revenues. Their staffs deliver quite well.
I earnestly told them that I wanted to hear was how they were going to end corruption and when. Also the ordinary citizens are suffering in obtaining much needed documents (births, IDs and passports). Without money to bribe, it is almost difficult to obtain such. When people are deported from foreign countries they are vulnerable to crimes such as human trafficking and hence the department should step up to help such people.

I noted that the Minister of Labour had not returned, possibly from toilet; some tactics of avoiding questions I thought. Maybe it was a good idea to avoid self-damage. I did not want to waste a lot of time waiting hence thanked everybody for answering and listening.

Moving Zimbabwe forward is an uphill battle, I agreed with the inner me. I thanked the President and promised to compile a report within a week of my findings.
Earlier last week I held some meetings with the Business Zimbabwe members, mostly comprised of rich Zimbabwean business personnel.

I complimented one business man for having so many buses but asked him as to why he failed to compensate families of victims of more than twenty passengers who unfortunately died in the unfortunate accident allegedly caused by a speeding driver.

He told me that he worked hard by selling cabbages and now owns a lot of buses. He continued saying that to live like a King; one must work like a slave. He also said that the routes where his buses travel, passengers do not suffer as they are always on time. Concerning the accident, he said he was waiting for a full investigation report and unfortunately those involved took time to complete but would refer me to his manager for further questions.

That was arrogance at its superlative degree of comparison, I thought with rage.  It took almost twelve hours for the bodies to be removed by the air force personnel using own trucks, and the owner did not even show some remorse.

To another business man, I wanted to know why he ill-treated his workers. I told him that I read an article where his shoe making company had closed down and the retrenched workers were given retrenchment and severance packages in the form of six pairs of shoes each and I wanted to know as to what had prompted him to behave in such a manner?

He defended himself and blamed the media, boasted about his good relation with his employees.

To another one of the richest, I wanted to know as to what he has to say to would be entrepreneurs as he is among Africa's richest and the only man in the country driving a family Bugatti. He said the Lord blessed him and his family. He went on to say that not all could be where he is as it takes a lot of guts and perseverance. He also said that black people were oppressed,  but now living the dreams of Nehanda, Kaguvi, Mandela, Nkrumah and Nyerere.

It was honourable of him to quote such greats, but I was very disappointed as all of them mentioned little of their community development. The info is enough to prepare a report to the president.