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(NEWZIMBABWE) Zanu-PF to smoke out dissenting MP

Zanu-PF to smoke out dissenting MP
by Staff Reporter
11/12/2010 00:00:00

STUNG by criticism from one of its own MPs who liked the party to a passé of fratricidal baboons and blasted many of its flagship policies, the Zanu PF hierarchy is moving to smoke-out the dissenting legislator.

The latest diplomatic cables released by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks indicate that a Zanu PF member of parliament held a meeting with United States ambassador Charles Ray where he said the party was in need of new leadership.

The name of the official was redacted from the cables to protect his identity. The official said party chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo and Vice President Joyce Mujuru were possibilities although Mujuru’s “fear of Mugabe was affecting her ability to lead”.

Moyo told state media the party would discuss the issue at its Monday meeting.

"The matter is of serious concern to the party and we are going to discuss it during our Monday Politburo meeting . . . The Politburo will definitely have interest in it," he quoted as saying.

The legislator blasted Zanu PF's indegenisation policies under-which foreign-owned companies are required by law to localise at least 51 percent of their shareholding.

“The government's indigenisation program benefitted nobody accept (sic) those who were already wealthy. It did nothing for his constituents, who couldn't afford to buy into companies and were living hand-to-mouth,” Ambassador Ray said in his report of the meeting.

More tellingly, the MP contradicted Zanu PF’s oft-stated argument that sanctions were responsible for the country’s near-economic collapse over the last decade.

“The economy was already on a downhill trajectory because of misguided economic policies and the disastrous land reform policy. But the passage of ZDERA was like slashing an already deflating tire,” the MP said.

[That is partially true. The economy was badly hit by the Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP), which saw the annihilation of social services and universal education as a founding principle, but that started not in 2000 with landreform, but from 1991 to 1996. If you look at the Zimbabwe Dollar vs the US dollar, there was as slow decline. However, a slow decline turned into hyperinflation in 2002, after ZDERA put a credit freeze on the government in December 2001. All this data is available on my page here. - MrK]

He urged the US to maintain sanctions against individual Zanu PF officials but reconsider those targeting state-owned enterprises.

“Sanctions on individuals should remain if justified by the behavior of these individuals. Sanctions on parastatals that were contributing or could contribute to the economy should be lifted,” the official told Ray.

Labels: CHARLES RAY, WIKILEAKS, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 11:34 AM