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(TALKZIMBABWE) Strike action, a result of MDC-T populism

Strike action, a result of MDC-T populism
Tichaona Zindoga - Strike action, a result of MDC-T populism
Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:43:00 +0000

A COLOURFUL ceremony at Zimbabwe House on February 11 2009 saw the consummation of the Global Political Agreement through the formation of the inclusive Government comprising Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Professor Arthur Mutambara (MDC) and Ms Thokhozani Khupe, Tsvangirai’s party deputy, were sworn in, in accordance with Constitutional Amendment 19 that created positions of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, respectively.

What caught the attention of many people during the ceremony was what the man (Morgan Tsvangirai) that had stalled the consummation of the inclusive Government for so long by continually dithering and shifting goalposts — had to say.

The newly appointed premier, whose party had promised the electorate billions of funds kindly donated by the party’s "friends and partners" from the West, immediately latched on the opportunity to sound a number of populist pronouncements which were greeted with jubilation countrywide.

"As Prime Minister," Tsvangirai said in his speech, "I make this commitment that, as from the end of this month, our professionals in the civil service, every health worker, teacher, soldier and policeman will receive their pay in foreign currency until we are able to stabilise the economy.

"These hard currency salaries enable people to go to work, feed their families and to survive until such a time we begin to sustain ourselves as a country," he added, explaining the foreign currency regime that had been mooted by then acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

While it will be acknowledged that civil servants indeed got their US dollar wages, an initial US$100 flat wage, which has been modestly reviewed upwards over the year, as we speak every health worker, teacher and other civil servants — in Tsvangirai’s words — has downed his tools.

A meeting of civil servants last Friday in the Harare Gardens resolved to embark on a nationwide industrial action demanding massive pay increases in what Tsvangirai called a year ago, "the currency they deserve".

Leader of the Zimbabwe Teacher’s Association Tendai Chikowore, captured the mood of Government workers accusing their employer of not showing commitment to resolving a long-standing impasse over their working conditions.

She recalled that when the inclusive Government was formed, "we all rejoiced thinking that it was the panacea of our social and economic problems, but we have been proven wrong.

"Government has been taking us for granted and now we are saying enough is enough," she declared.

If the whole story did not have an undercurrent of tragedy, one could easily rejoice in the unmasking of the massive fraud by Tsvangirai’s party in pretending to have the "keys" to unlock aid and better socio-economic prospects.

But the situation is gloomy — or sombre as one writer said in a local weekly — and a sober reflection has been taking place among Zimbabweans.

This is because the strike has occurred on the eve of the inclusive Government’s first anniversary, which a year ago put people on a high hope of expectation.

The people involved in the industrial action, the civil service, have been major political players in the country, which explains why Tsvangirai directed his populist rhetoric at State House, in return for their buying of empty promises of Western manna.

Not unconnected to this, civil servants have been hardest hit by MDC-courted Western sanctions against Zimbabwe.

These professionals, once a source of Zimbabwean pride, have been reduced to paupers. But then, they were fed promises of bounty, with some even manipulating election results in favour of MDC-T, in the event that the party got into power.

In a twist to the story, on February 5, 2010 public servants were the ones who told the world that they fundamentally continue to suffer almost the same difficulties they suffered before the MDC formations became part of Government.

The meaning of all this is writ large.

Zimbabweans as represented by the body of workers that thronged Harare Gardens that day have seen through the fraud and empty promises of the MDC formations particularly the much-touted "bigger" faction led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Essentially, those brave or smart enough have been able to say it, while others are still in a state of denial.

This goes without dismissing from the onset the naïve view that the strike could be purely a labour issue.

History also dismisses such a simplistic view as here and abroad labour has had a correlation with the politics of the day.

There are a number of observations one could make on the issue.

The first, and perhaps most critical one resonates in what political science lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe Eldered Masunungure said to The Standard this week.

Commenting on the nationwide strike, Masunungure observed that Zimbabweans had, "underestimated the work that awaited the unity Government to haul the country back to its former glory after it had reached rock bottom."

"We see that realism is now setting in on the general public who had great expectations for the new administration," he said.

He was further quoted saying that many people had seriously underestimated the gravity of the (social, economic and political) situation."Zimbabwe had reached the bottom and for it to rise to the ground floor it would take time," he said.

While this could suffice as a very empirical observation, one could also add that the same people now realise that former opposition leader Tsvangirai does not possess a magic wand to turn around the fortunes of the country.

His futile Western visit in April, soon after taking his oath of office could only collect a few monies for Western-created NGOs and not the civil service was one of the earliest signs.

In fact, much of the work that awaited the inclusive Government, as Masunungure says, lies in reversing the effects of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.

The Global Political Agreement signed by the three parties on September 16 2008 also stipulates that that work would be primarily the duty of the MDC formations.

But the latter, particularly the formation led by Tsvangirai, have never been equal to the task and the "great expectations" of the people are falling to pieces. Masunungure is noting that many people had "seriously underestimated the gravity of the situation" is also very telling.

It explains that people could be so naïve as to believe that sanctions imposed at the behest of the MDC which former US envoy to Zimbabwe Christopher Dell said had condemned the country to 1950’s poverty would be reversed once Tsvangirai was in Government.

The regressive and retrogressive tendency of sanctions was also realised by Finance Minister Tendai Biti when he said that Zimbabwe would need at least twelve years to undo the damage inflicted of the country by the sanctions.

Another problem that affects the country concerns its battered image, which has resulted in the absence of foreign direct investment, because investors are still hesitant to do business with Zimbabwe.

Admittedly, while things have not been rosy for Zimbabwe, on the political and economic fronts, the situation has not been helped by the wanton and treacherous defamation of the country, spearheaded by the MDC formations and their partners.

Many people underestimated the gravity of such an action, but the battered image is partly responsible for the negative inertia that civil servants lament.

As the civil service digs in on the industrial action, it is also time for individuals to reflect on the causes and consequences of the present malaise.

One can only surmise that they will demand the restoration of their dignity and pride through, but not limited to, the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.

Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, MDC

posted by MrK @ 1:51 PM