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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Full verdict on indigenisation in Zim

Full verdict on indigenisation in Zim
Saturday, 28 April 2012 21:18

On April 17, 2012, the MDC-T released a statement of resolutions in which it attempted to contextualise and comment on critical issues affecting the country.
Among other things, the statement had a section making specific reference to the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programme currently being implemented by the Government of Zimbabwe.

While the greater part of the document recorded the usual MDC-T rumblings about the Global Political Agreement issues that are now permanently outstanding, rule of law, “police brutality” and so forth, what surprised many is the section through which the MDC-T passed judgment on the indigenisation programme.

This is somewhat surprising because the policy is still in its infancy with the guiding Act having only been passed in 2008. The programme has mainly been implemented in one sector of the economy: mining.

It is only moving to other sectors like manufacturing.

Other countries that have successfully implemented indigenisation programmes like Korea and Malaysia only began reaping the full benefits of the policy after 20 or so years.

So, how can the MDC-T deliver judgment on a programme that is less than five years old and whose benefits are going to flow to indigenous Zimbabweans into posterity?
Besides its ill-timing, the MDC-T verdict on indigenisation is both lacking in substance and ill-informed.

In fact, the statement is based on a pack of lies and naked assumptions about the programme. Part of the statement reads: “They are not referring to broad based empowerment of the ordinary man and woman, but the looting and plunder of national resources by a small parasitic elite.”

The MDC-T further claims the programme is a “narrow model of transferring to a black elite”.

This shallow observation reveals either ignorance of the law, which, in itself, is no defence, or sheer arrogance through which the party is making itself blind to the dictates of the law.

For the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act (Chapter 14:33) and the supporting statutory instruments, regulations and related notices clearly spell out how the programme is primarily meant to benefit ordinary Zimbabweans who were previously disadvantaged by the settler regime.

The regulations state that the primary groups meant to benefit from the programme are ordinary communities (encompassing ordinary men and women, youth representatives, the disabled, orphans, the elderly etc), employees (comprising ordinary workers and members of management) while the rest of the shares needed to acquire majority shareholding are to be transferred to the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund (NIEEF) to be administered by the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board.

Funds from the NIEEF will be available to Zimbabweans from all corners of the country to acquire shares and fund business projects while a significant portion will be reserved for future generations.

What is puzzling; revealing the blatant attempt by the MDC-T to play blind is its deafening silence on the projects that have been kick-started on the ground and already benefiting ordinary Zimbabweans.

There was nothing “elitist” when villagers led by their chiefs in Chegutu-Mhondoro Ngezi, Zvishavane and Shurugwi received share certificates confirming their ownership of 10 percent of the mining companies around their areas and the accompanying $10 million respectively to fund the operations of their trusts.

Now the chiefs have received training in administration and financial management so that they can run the trusts efficiently while community needs assessments are underway to give villagers the opportunity to identify areas they want developed.

On the other hand, there is nothing “narrow” in ordinary employees getting a percentage of the shares in Meikles and Schweppes and representation on the company board, something previously unheard off. Now the workers’ grievances are articulated by one of their own at the highest level while workers can look to financial results and a share of profits with added anticipation as part owners of the companies involved.

In addition, to the noted transfer of shares, Zimbabwean youths have directly benefited from the youth empowerment funds negotiated by Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Cde Saviour Kasukuwere under the indigenisation and economic empowerment banner.

CBZ, CABS and IDBZ have been funding youths to carry out business projects while Stanbic has also launched a US$20 million youth empowerment fund.

I can bet to my last bottom dollar that none of these funds were going to be availed to previously-disadvantaged indigenous Zimbabwean youths if there was no Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programme. Thus, we challenge, with evidence, the outrageous claim by the MDC-T that indigenisation is a “Zanu-PF machination of asset stripping, looting, patronage, clientelism, corruption and self aggrandisement”.

It is absurd that the MDC-T makes this serious allegation based on assumptions without a shred of evidence.

In fact, it is the MDC-T itself that is seeking to protect its white friends through “patronage, clientelism, corruption and self aggrandisement” as evidenced by the case of its Midlands North Treasurer John Kinard who is peddling the same falsehoods by his national executive to protect his business empire in Kwekwe that is resisting indigenisation laws.

Another lame claim by the MDC-T statement is that “indigenisation is not being driven by demand”, literally implying that the poor majority in Zimbabwe are happy to perpetually wallow in the waters of poverty while foreigners continue to exploit the country’s resources.

Nothing could be more insulting to ordinary Zimbabweans, many of whom sacrificed, and some lost their lives, participating in a protracted struggle to reclaim control over our natural resources.

In the final analysis, there is nothing “disgusting” in Minister Kasukuwere’s notice re-stating what is already enshrined in the indigenisation laws, but there is everything disgusting in the MDC-T’s futile attempt to mislead the people of Zimbabwe by giving a false analysis of the status and progress of the indigenisation programme.

The statement is ill-informed, misguided and misleading and, thus, should be outrightly rejected by the citizens of Zimbabwe and confined to the dustbin of political history.

* Kurai Prosper Masenyama is the Zanu-PF Director of Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.

Labels: CHIEFS, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE), MDC

posted by MrK @ 7:33 PM