Opinion / Columnist
Mugabe not welcome in Africa
28 Jan 2015 at 07:55hrs | Views
President Mugabe returned on Friday from a five-week holiday in the Far East - goodness knows how much that cost the Zimbabwean taxpayers.
No sooner had he unpacked his bags than he was on another plane to Zambia, to attend the inauguration of that country's new President. Curiously, the election results had not yet been announced when Mugabe flew off.
Civil servants pay day for January 2015 was pushed forward to allow the broke Treasury to forage for revenue. Several families are now homeless after floods devastated parts of Mashonaland Central. Victims of last year's flood, which displaced 19,000 people, have still not received government compensation. Local industry operates at only a fraction of its capacity, owing to power shortages, antiquated machinery, low disposable income and a crippling liquidity crunch.
With the Vice Presidents merely placeholders, with no real authority, what little governance activity exists comes to a complete standstill whenever Mugabe travels. Neither of the two VPs has power to call for a cabinet meeting and with Mnangagwa afraid to make any move that may cost him the opportunity to succeed Mugabe, the country has been in limbo since early December.
In fact, at the time of going to print, cabinet was scheduled to convene for the first time in two months. The final quarter of 2014 was all about the congress, so much so that nothing tangible has taken place in months. These are the issues that deserve priority, rather than the president showing face in Zambia, where his contemporary, Kenneth Kaunda, has long relinquished the reins of power.
No sooner had he unpacked his bags than he was on another plane to Zambia, to attend the inauguration of that country's new President. Curiously, the election results had not yet been announced when Mugabe flew off.
With the Vice Presidents merely placeholders, with no real authority, what little governance activity exists comes to a complete standstill whenever Mugabe travels. Neither of the two VPs has power to call for a cabinet meeting and with Mnangagwa afraid to make any move that may cost him the opportunity to succeed Mugabe, the country has been in limbo since early December.
In fact, at the time of going to print, cabinet was scheduled to convene for the first time in two months. The final quarter of 2014 was all about the congress, so much so that nothing tangible has taken place in months. These are the issues that deserve priority, rather than the president showing face in Zambia, where his contemporary, Kenneth Kaunda, has long relinquished the reins of power.
Source - zimbabwean
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