The Sunday Mail
WHILE the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai is busy hallucinating about fresh elections and seeing a Nikuv hand in the 2018 election, Zanu-PF is already rolling out its winning formula for the next elections. Never mind the current bickering for positions as the ruling party heads for the December congress.
Right under the unsuspecting and fractious opposition movement, Zanu-PF has began winning the people’s votes through the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset). The skeptics have to be told that Zanu-PF will not climb on top of a mountain and shout that Zim-Asset is now being rolled out.
Zim-Asset is being implemented on the ground and while those obsessed with being someone else’s worker continue grovelling, the people who matter are already enjoying the benefits of the country’s well-received economic blue-print. The pessimists can’t feel the vibes because they are waiting for manna from Heaven.
On Friday, while officially opening the 104th Harare Agricultural Show in Harare, President Mugabe revealed one of the Government’s achievements that is set to haunt opposition parties in 2018.
“We are glad that our maize and grain production is set to surpass 1,4 million tonnes, enough to ensure national food self-sufficiency. For the first time after many years of drought, Zimbabwe has now attained this level of production. . .
“Tobacco production also continued on an upward trend, now being valued at over US$676 million from 167 million kilogrammes realised during the 2012-2013 season.
“Generally, cotton, sugar and horticultural crops did slightly better than in the last season. Overall crop production is much more improved this season. We hope this trend will continue,” the President said.
Now, what does the statement by the President above mean if we look at the bigger picture? The statement by the President is official confirmation that the land reform programme which Zimbabwe pioneered in Africa has been a success in terms of production. In the past, the success of the programme was measured in terms of the number of indigenous people who benefited from the exercise but now the success story is moving from the figures to the stomach.
In case, Mr Tsvangirai and his dwindling followers needs reminding — the MDC-T was a product of a protest against Zanu-PF following economic hardships at the end of the 1990s triggered by the IMF-prescribed Economic Structural Adjustment Programme. If Zanu-PF manages to address economic challenges through Zim-Asset, then election 2018 is a done deal for the ruling party.
After putting food on the people’s table, President Mugabe left the country for China yesterday as the bid to fix the economy receives presidential attention. We don’t want to speculate and start throwing unconfirmed figures around, but what is obvious is that unlike Mr Tsvangirai who went to his imperialist friends and came back empty handed, the President will bring good news from China.
Remember some worried US researchers at AidData recently revealed that China has pumped over US$75 billion on aid and development projects to Africa over the past decade. With regards to Zimbabwe, China according to its Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Lin Lin, has pumped about US$1,1 billion into projects in the country. By the time the President returns back home, that figure would have shot up and the frowning economy will be smiling. And we go back to that question again — if China pumps a few billions into the country’s economy, what exactly does that mean?
It means the Look East Policy which President Mugabe pioneered in Africa is bearing fruits and that definitely should worry opposition puppets to the marrow. While the success story of the land reform programme continues to unfold and the all-weather friend that China is, is set to unlock a few doors on the economic front, reports from the mining sector, which is still being “cleaned and cleansed” are very encouraging. Moves to ban the export of uncut diamonds is welcome although the Mines Minister Mr Walter Chidhakwa needs to tread carefully on this one. On the other hand, the Corporate Governance and Renumeration Policy Framework is a positive move as Government seeks to curb corruption in parastatals and local authorities that have been chewing so much from the fiscus.
If the Zanu-PF Government manages to keep the momentum in addressing the above issues and at the same time puts its house in order, then campaigning in 2018 will be a formality. While friction is expected as members fight for positions ahead of the December congress, Zanu-PF should always remember that the succession issue will make sense only if the party retains power. This means the party has to know that the enemy is out there not within.
Editorial Comment: 2018 Election a done deal
The Sunday Mail
WHILE the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai is busy hallucinating about fresh elections and seeing a Nikuv hand in the 2018 election, Zanu-PF is already rolling out its winning formula for the next elections. Never mind the current bickering for positions as the ruling party heads for the December congress.
Right under the unsuspecting and fractious opposition movement, Zanu-PF has began winning the people’s votes through the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset). The skeptics have to be told that Zanu-PF will not climb on top of a mountain and shout that Zim-Asset is now being rolled out.
Zim-Asset is being implemented on the ground and while those obsessed with being someone else’s worker continue grovelling, the people who matter are already enjoying the benefits of the country’s well-received economic blue-print. The pessimists can’t feel the vibes because they are waiting for manna from Heaven.
On Friday, while officially opening the 104th Harare Agricultural Show in Harare, President Mugabe revealed one of the Government’s achievements that is set to haunt opposition parties in 2018.
“We are glad that our maize and grain production is set to surpass 1,4 million tonnes, enough to ensure national food self-sufficiency. For the first time after many years of drought, Zimbabwe has now attained this level of production. . .
“Tobacco production also continued on an upward trend, now being valued at over US$676 million from 167 million kilogrammes realised during the 2012-2013 season.
“Generally, cotton, sugar and horticultural crops did slightly better than in the last season. Overall crop production is much more improved this season. We hope this trend will continue,” the President said.
Now, what does the statement by the President above mean if we look at the bigger picture? The statement by the President is official confirmation that the land reform programme which Zimbabwe pioneered in Africa has been a success in terms of production. In the past, the success of the programme was measured in terms of the number of indigenous people who benefited from the exercise but now the success story is moving from the figures to the stomach.
In case, Mr Tsvangirai and his dwindling followers needs reminding — the MDC-T was a product of a protest against Zanu-PF following economic hardships at the end of the 1990s triggered by the IMF-prescribed Economic Structural Adjustment Programme. If Zanu-PF manages to address economic challenges through Zim-Asset, then election 2018 is a done deal for the ruling party.
After putting food on the people’s table, President Mugabe left the country for China yesterday as the bid to fix the economy receives presidential attention. We don’t want to speculate and start throwing unconfirmed figures around, but what is obvious is that unlike Mr Tsvangirai who went to his imperialist friends and came back empty handed, the President will bring good news from China.
Remember some worried US researchers at AidData recently revealed that China has pumped over US$75 billion on aid and development projects to Africa over the past decade. With regards to Zimbabwe, China according to its Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Lin Lin, has pumped about US$1,1 billion into projects in the country. By the time the President returns back home, that figure would have shot up and the frowning economy will be smiling. And we go back to that question again — if China pumps a few billions into the country’s economy, what exactly does that mean?
It means the Look East Policy which President Mugabe pioneered in Africa is bearing fruits and that definitely should worry opposition puppets to the marrow. While the success story of the land reform programme continues to unfold and the all-weather friend that China is, is set to unlock a few doors on the economic front, reports from the mining sector, which is still being “cleaned and cleansed” are very encouraging. Moves to ban the export of uncut diamonds is welcome although the Mines Minister Mr Walter Chidhakwa needs to tread carefully on this one. On the other hand, the Corporate Governance and Renumeration Policy Framework is a positive move as Government seeks to curb corruption in parastatals and local authorities that have been chewing so much from the fiscus.
If the Zanu-PF Government manages to keep the momentum in addressing the above issues and at the same time puts its house in order, then campaigning in 2018 will be a formality. While friction is expected as members fight for positions ahead of the December congress, Zanu-PF should always remember that the succession issue will make sense only if the party retains power. This means the party has to know that the enemy is out there not within.
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