Zanu PF should go economic

Economist, Douglas Rimmer, concluded his 1984 study of West Africa's economy under the title, The Economics of West Africa by arguing that African's leaders despite their protestations had never been primarily concerned with economic growth but rather with the maintenance of political power.

Whether Zimbabwe which, lies in Southern Africa fits in Rimmer's model or not is not subject for debate in this article. Zimbabwe's revolutionary party Zanu PF has proven beyond no reasonable doubt that no other party in the rest of Africa can match it in terms of its political survival prowess. The party's manifestos have always been saleable. What remains to be seen today is the ability of the party to spur the country into economic growth.

Despite the party's 2008 climb-down at the hands of the opposing MDC formations, Zanu PF emerged stronger in the 2013 general elections thanks to its political survival tactics, which this time around was informed around the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programme.

The survival of Zanu PF as we move into the future lies in its ability to transform its political survival prowess into an all-conquering economic warfare. The ability by Zanu PF - which is there - to win the economic war, will go a long way into entrenching it as Zimbabwe's political party of natural choice.

Some of the economic woes the country is facing has been attributed to policy inconsistence by some economists. The very economist have laboured to explain that the bad perception the country has, has reduced it to a high risk destination which investors are shunning. But the very economists are yet to tell us of where the, "high risk high opportunities concept," has gone to. A place of "high risk" ceases to be lucrative when it is proven to be a destination of "low returns."

What Zimbabweans ought to do at this juncture through the Zanu PF government is to avail all the opportunities that lie in this so called, "high risk" destination. The "high risk" tag is just but a label which can be overridden by prospects of high returns.

Mining

It is not the "high risk" tag that has resulted in minimal foreign direct inflows into this sector but the non-availability of ready basket showing the "high return" commodities that the country is offering. Zambia is doing better in this regard. There is more exploration works taking place in Zambia creating that ready basket for world buyers. Despite the general knowledge that as Zimbabweans we know as constituting our mineral deposits we have not ready quantified basket to lure buyers. The talk on the opening of the exploration company has just taken too long. In its absence government through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development should have created incentives for junior miners. Zimbabwe should at this point in history be the only country without junior miners.

Land

Agriculture has always been the major economic driver of Zimbabwe's economy. The transfer of land to the majority of black Zimbabweans by President Mugabe was meant to be a lateral transfer of the same wealth to our people. It is sad that while some people have done well with reference to A2 farmers some have disappointed. The non-irreversibility of land should not be taken to be synonymous with the protection of non-productive farmers. All non-productive farmers should be kicked off their farms and be replaced with new productive farmers. In the name of saving the economy from further decline the time has come for Zanu PF to take painful decisions of not protecting non-productive farmers. Actually the slogan should be that non-productive farmers are worse off than the MDC's and western sponsors and should be treated with "gamatox".

Government expenditure

This is the other evil that the Zanu PF government should address with immediate effect to address some short term problems. The expenditure government incurs per month due to its manual systems is not realistic and can be eroded with a click of a finger if new efficient technological systems are introduced.

For instance the Central Mechanised Engineering Division (CMED) is the official government garage. What fleet management vehicle systems does it have? It is still being run on a manual system. One is left wondering how the efficiency of the vehicles are checked. How the spares in all their stores are accounted for countrywide? How the damaged vehicles and those disposed are also accounted for? This is just but one strategic government unit in a shambolic state whose contribution to government could be shocking in unravelled.