Like farm seizures, indigenisation will destroy economy
Sunday, 04 December 2011 11:45
Eleven years ago, the then Zanu PF-led government instigated chaotic
seizures of white commercial farms, an idea that the party allegedly stole
from MDC’s election manifesto, which the latter could have smoothly
implemented without causing any harm to the country’s agro-based economy.
The intention was to give land to majority blacks and the excuse was that
Britain, the country’s colonial master had reportedly refused to compensate
the Zimbabwean government for huge tracts of land lost to minority whites
during the colonial era.
All hell broke lose when the so-called war veterans seized the productive
farms, stalling production. There is really no problem when our fellow black
brothers get land, but the problems come when farms are not utilised to
benefit the nation.
Right now, it is no secret that the land reform programme is a flop, with
millions of hectares of seized land lying idle throughout the country. It
boggles the mind that Zanu PF still insists on displacing more white
commercial farmers when failure is evident in its disorganised policy of
farm seizures.
Since the takeover of commercial farms the country has been relegated to
perpetual begging, yet the country used to be the bread basket of southern
Africa.
Then came the partisan manner in which Zanu PF is implementing the
indigenisation policy, which is politicised in favour of its supporters;
one needs to belong to the party in order to benefit from the indigenisation
policy.
But there are also shocking levels of looting in the name of black economic
empowerment. Some party stooges are out in full force using the black
economic empowerment policy to plunder the national economy.
They do not care what will happen tomorrow as long as they can fatten their
pockets and through their militant siege of firms and farms, they are
leaving trails of economic destruction in the country.
What Zanu PF is doing through the black economic empowerment policy has got
nothing to do with benefitting the country, but it may be the party’s
desperate attempt to prepare its own retirement packages as it faces a
certain demise the moment free and fair elections are held.
After all, what evidence is there to suggest that Zanu PF has been
successful in its so-called black economic empowerment manouvres? Truly,
everything upon which Zanu PF has laid its demonic touch is collapsing,
fainting or yelling for resuscitation. Where is the gigantic Jaggers
Wholesale today — gone because of the Zanu PF regime?
Of course, the former ruling party would always hide behind sanctions; they
will tell you it was due to sanctions that Jaggers shut down.
And again where is the Cold Storage Commission? Sanctions, isn’t it?
What is happening at the Grain Marketing Board, all because of Zanu PF.
Some party loyalists have been planted in all government sectors, former
army generals, lieutenants and brigadiers are all over the show, from the
National Railways of Zimbabwe to government clinics and hospitals, and have
caused untold destruction of state parastatals, with no productive activity
to talk of.
And now the hand of destruction is about to be stretched upon foreign-owned
banks and mines, all in the name of black economic empowerment.
To me, continued calls to implement the black economic empowerment policy is
hogwash, emanating from the wicked lips of desperate and greed political
goons in Zanu PF, bent at unleashing some kind of a scotched-earth policy as
they behold their final departure approaching.
Indigenisation is only helping to scare away much needed foreign investors
and it is a flop.
BY JEFFREY MOYO CHARI