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(TALKZIMBABWE) Where is the MDC economic blueprint?

Where is the MDC economic blueprint?
Paul Mataruse - Opinion
Thu, 28 May 2009 01:12:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - It is interesting to read news reports from Britain. In one report I read that the MDC party had brought respite to civil servants by paying them a stipend of US$100 a month. As far as I can remember, this was a plan first introduced by then Acting Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa.

I remember this plan was criticised by many people within the Movement for Democratic Change as a half-baked policy that was unworkable and devoid of strategic thinking.

I also remember Tendai Biti, on his appointment as Minister of Finance denounced all the policies espoused by Minister Chinamasa and introduced what he called a "cash budget" - spending what we have.

This cash budgeting has now been discredited as Biti cannot spend what he has, anymore. At that time, Biti sounded very intellectual and like he knew what he was talking about.

Now we hear the minister talking about the need to remove sanctions, especially ZIDERA and the need to receive aid. These are issues that his predecessors battled with.

So chickens have now come home to roost?

Yesterday I read a story about a Melford Farm woman named Masiziba whose life savings of Zimbabwean dollars had all been lost.

The report said: "Older people in Zimbabwe have lost their life savings after the country's new (inclusive) Government suspended use of the Zimbabwean dollar for a year in April 2009."

Who in the new inclusive Government suspended the use of the Zimbabwean dollar? Then Acting Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa did not suspend the use of the Zimbabwean dollar.

The suspension of the Zimbabwean dollar was a Biti initiative; so why is this policy being spun as a Zanu PF policy?

Surely someone in these big organisations should know that the MDC is now responsible "for running the economy". This is what they were fighting for all along.

We still await an economic blueprint from the new finance minister, as promised. Deputy PM Prof Arthur Mutambara promised us a new document to take Zimbabwe out of its problems.

Turnaround of the Zimbabwean economy cannot be based on flimsy arguments like "restore human rights to get aid" or "restore land rights to progress". Aid comes at a price.

IMF/WB loans come with a price tag (interest). How is Zimbabwe going to meet these obligations? These are the real questions, these new ministers should answer, rather than grandstand by blaming others for ruining the economy.

It is naive to think that the country will reverse the gains of the liberation struggle (which was about land) inorder to get aid. This is an issue that has nothing to do with President Mugabe or Zanu PF. This is a Zimbabwean issue and will remain thus: during and after President Mugabe's tenure!

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Paul Mataruse
Johannesburg, South Africa

Labels: MDC, NEOLIBERALISM, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 1:46 AM