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(NEWZIMBABWE) Moyo a critical voice in Zim politics

Moyo a critical voice in Zim politics
by Psychology Maziwisa
28/07/2009 00:00:00

I READ Jonathan Moyo’s reaction to Tendai Biti’s mid-term budget review and found the many points raised in it of immense interest. While I share the same view as him regarding the Finance Minister’s ‘Kiya-Kiya’ budget and the so glaring goals uppermost in the latter’s mind, Moyo’s article afforded me the opportunity to see him for the man he really is: a two faced politician.

I have never been a great fan of Biti’s. I doubt I will be one anytime soon. Yet I have nothing personal against the Minister of Finance. A budget speech is a budget speech or at the very least, ought to be delivered like one. More importantly, if it fails to address the fundamentals of a country, not least because, for the most part, the lives of the poorest in our society hinge on it, then it is not a budget speech properly so-called. The result: it must be condemned in the strongest of terms.

It is a well known principle of good governance that government must be accountable for all its actions. Correspondingly, those on the receiving end should treat office bearers with the greatest of circumspection as to do otherwise would be to abdicate a responsibility central to their very own survival.

Accordingly, it is simply not plausible for people to ‘hail’ a speech not only fraught with inadequacies but also manifestly partisan and self serving.

I shall here refrain from being drawn into commenting on Biti’s pronunciation of the words ‘excise’ and ‘exercise’ as surely that is a problem personal to the minister and his teachers. Besides, who said any of us were perfect?

That there are power struggles within the MDC-T faction has become an open secret. That despite the contestation - theirs is a healthier experience than we have seen happen elsewhere for almost three decades now - cannot be questioned by any rational mind operating from this earth. But to seek to campaign for a specific partisan opinion under the guise of presenting a budget speech is completely and utterly unacceptable. It is unacceptable because it is not, cannot and will not be the appropriate forum to do so, period.

Minister Biti should know better. It is the President of the State, well according to the Zimbabwean Constitution, who determines what function is to be assigned to which ministry provided, of course, that that determination is ‘exercised’ reasonably and with rationality. Consequently, any purported designation of additional functions to Nelson Chamisa’s Information Technology Ministry by the Minister of Finance is without force or effect.

Perhaps, too, Chamisa should come to terms with the obvious fact that although it is not easily discernible which of the two ministries should preside over foreign newspapers (media) it is a function more ascribable to the Ministry of Information and Publicity than it is to his. Heaven knows I wish it was the other way around. I have had a personal disagreement with Chamisa but my comment here stems not from personal mishaps but from understanding the reality of the situation.

Surely, it makes no logical sense to impose tax on the poorest of our people, trying pretty hard to eke out some form of living, raid them of their livelihoods and insist on them paying the requisite tax yet, only a few months later, proudly pronounce that not only will you be reducing tax on foreign media, you will be wiping it out altogether! This, in my view, is as unforgivable as deliberately orchestrating violence during election time.

No rational finance minister would venture to act in like manner except if to do so caused him or her to derive some form of benefit, pecuniary or otherwise. I am honestly unable to find any other possible explanation consistent with such an act. It is especially worrying when it comes from a man who only yesterday appeared to be championing the cause of the ordinary Zimbabwean.

President Mugabe spoke very wise words in 1980, as I am sure he continues to do to this day, albeit more occasionally, that an evil remained an evil, whether committed by white against black or by black against white. I like to think of this as having pertinence to Minister Biti viz-a-viz his condemnation of Reserve Bank Govenor Gideon Gono.

As far as Professor Jonathan Moyo’s limitations are concerned; it should suffice to say that his latest article is symptomatic of a man suffering from an identity crisis. Perhaps President Robert Mugabe should reconsider his 2005 decision. But if we don’t trust Jonathan Moyo anymore, who still does?

But whatever his imperfections, Moyo remains a crucial voice in Zimbabwean politics; perhaps an indispensable one too!

Maziwisa is interim president for the Union for Sustainable Democracy

Labels: JONATHAN MOYO, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 2:41 PM