Mugabe’s cult-like status leaves dangerous legacy

THE article “Behind Africa’s admiration for Mugabe” by Phathekile Holomisa (DD, August 28) refers.

I continue to be amazed by the shallow analysis generally of our situation in Zimbabwe.

Nobody in Zimbabwe is against the land reform or against indigenisation per se. These are the reasons why the armed struggle was necessary anyway and there has never been an argument about that.

The problems we face in Zimbabwe are how these policies have been implemented to the detriment of our economy.

Thirteen years after the land reform, we cannot feed ourselves and had to import maize from Zambia, most probably produced by former white Zimbabwean farmers.

The reason for this is two-fold: first, blacks are sitting on vast tracts of land that is lying idle and second, smallholder farmers mostly grow tobacco because they get more money.

That to me is the dumbest policy any country can encourage.

As we speak, Zimbabwe is importing most of its products from South Africa simply because we cannot produce them here. From earbuds to milk to toilet paper! These are the effects of a lack of a considered and holistic approach to managing our economy.

Yes, we have the brains and are well educated but what use is that if we cannot apply our minds to seemingly very straightforward economics?

Indigenisation is critical but why not focus on creating 100% indigenous- owned companies that can create both ownership and employment and compete with existing entities?

A huge number of black-owned factories are sitting idle today, why not revive those?

Indigenisation will result in the concentration of wealth in a few hands as long as it remains a political process not driven by the private sector. Our ideas must be implemented to our benefit.

We have been very good at destroying value under the pretext of taking assets and that, to me, was never the ideal of our liberation struggle.

President Robert Mugabe has contributed tremendously to Zimbabwe but has also done immense damage by refusing to vacate office.

Corruption in Zimbabwe comes from the top and has cascaded to all sectors of our economy and Nkosi Holomisa simplifies or justifies this issue saying it is normal in any country.

When those at the top of government are not accountable, greed, corruption and partisan decisions impact negatively the innocent.

Mugabe’s policies have reversed the gains of our independence.

I think land reform and indigenisation are a means to an end. The end being the economic emancipation of Zimbabweans. This has not been achieved 34 years later!

We have failed to get the results that we desire but continue the same behaviours.

This means that we are unwilling to learn from our mistakes or we are simply incompetent.

We in Zimbabwe want to increase employment, food security, safety and security of our citizens. These priorities have never been achieved in our country since 1980 despite us being an independent country.

Human rights and democracy are not present in Zimbabwe. This is because our government has failed us despite Mugabe’s noble objectives.

Despite our president’s intentions and as long as we have dark streets in Highfields, clinics with no medicine and the stress of finding clean drinking water, as long as we have graduates selling airtime vouchers, and as long as we have uncollected rubbish in Mbare, we shall forever wonder how things could have been.

Zimbabwe will not have adequate skills available as long we shut out those in the diaspora and those who may differ with the worldview of our politicians. We are tired of party politics and the disregard of skilled Zimbabweans because of their race or political affiliation.

We must never say Mugabe is entitled to lead simply because he participated in the liberation of the country. That is our fundamental problem: the refusal by Zanu-PF to acknowledge their failures and mistakes.

I really wish that people would come to Zimbabwe and understand issues on the ground before they give desk ana-lyses.

We need leadership renewal, we need a new approach to achieving the very necessary goals of land reform and indigenisation. We have better ideas and better ways of doing that than the incumbent. That is a fact.

But because there is no political space to do so, we must continue the fight for a Zimbabwe better than the one Mugabe has created. If we do not challenge that our country will never achieve its full potential.

We can never support any man, black or white, who does the wrong things.

I wish the writer would visit Zimbabwe.

Mugabe has created this cult-like following which is one of the most dangerous legacies he may leave behind. Mugabe is to those who worship him, an oracle who should be glorified. Many boot-lickers have said Mugabe was appointed by God to lead Zimbabwe and he will rule forever. They actually believe he is immortal. He acts it. He has ruled for 33 years and counting.

The silly season of free cellphone vouchers, gallons of scarce cooking oil and free goats is over. Promises were made and now they must be kept.

Although it took very little to convince those in Mazarabani to vote for Zanu-PF and act illiterate, some of us in the urban areas are now waiting with much expectation after our disappointment and utter shock.

Mr President, we were taught about how Europe underdeveloped Africa. We are very familiar with the slave trade and slavery, the petition of Africa, colonialism and segregation. We analysed all these historical events and we always talk about them. We say never again to such. We are also now talking about how African leaders underdevelop Africa. How do you think you will fare? I am very aware of your anti-imperialist rhetoric. Please save your breath. Just take a long and objective look for now and stop politicking and assess yourself.

Vince Musewe is an economic analyst based in Harare