True to Paton’s assertion, the economic play-out of the past two weeks reminds Zimbabweans of the 1998 and 2007/8 economic crisis.
The 1998 crisis led to the formation of the MDC in 1999, while the 2007/8 economic crisis saw ZANU PF lose its stranglehold on power leading to the formation of the Government National Unity.
It is clear, that the opposition and its sympathisers from a small section of business are already pushing for a political stand-off with a view to derailing ZANU PF.
Already the MDC affiliated ZCTU and their surrogate are calling for a mass action.
It’s foolhardy for the opposition to think that ZANU PF has not learnt anything from similar previous challenges.
If anything similar occurrences have left ZANU PF wiser and stronger. There is an urgent need for the masses to walk with President Mnangagwa and not be hoodwinked by the opposition.
Zimbabweans, from all walks of life, should for the first time in the history of this country celebrate that in face of the current crisis, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has shown true leadership.
He has shown that a good leader takes bold decisions that do not border on populism.
A good leader makes decisions that could in the present inflict pain but at the same time lay a strong foundation for the prosperity of all in the immediate future.
In the face of attacks on the recently proposed 2 per cent taxation by Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube, President Mnangagwa for the first time publicly came out in defence of his minister.
President Mnangagwa was reportedly quoted by The Herald as having said: “Where we stand today as Zimbabwe, for us to become a viable economy, a solid economy, we are going to take measures that are going to be painful. And this is one such measure.”
President Mnangagwa statement was a complete departure from the antics that characterised former President Mugabe’s rule.
Remember how President Mugabe left former Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa in the cold after he reversed the scrapping of civil servants bonuses after a few days of Chinamasa announcing the new policy direction.
President Mnangagwa’s leadership emboldens his emissaries. He has empowered his ministers with both responsibility and authority, a combination that improves efficiency in the running of Government.
During Mugabe’s era, ministers were only given responsibility without authority. Of course one might argue that its guided authority but what remains is that, ministers under President Mnangagwa at least have it.
The kind of approach by President Mnangagwa also is a clear testimony, that the new Zimbabwe has no place for unscrupulous business.
Business should be reminded that the fuel crisis of the late 1990s gave birth to the indigenous fuel players.
When the country in the late 1990s was hit by the fuel crisis the then NOCZIM Managing Director, Nicholas Ncube, was entrusted with the responsibility of seeking assistance from the oil companies then operational.
They all turned their backs against the Government. They all had no umbilical cord connecting them to the country called Zimbabwe besides the profits they were reaping.
In the aftermath of that fuel crisis, five (5) licences were issued to companies comprising of local indigenous Zimbabweans who also could speak to the liberation ethos of this country who in the face of this current crisis have stood on the side of Government.
For example, you have Trek Petroleum which is owned by white Zimbabwean boys and on the other side you have Glo Petroleum wholly owned by a black Zimbabwean businessman. They have stood with their country.
Then you have Sakunda which has a foreign component in its shareholding and has not disappointed either.
But moving forward in the fuel sector, besides strengthening the capacity of PetroTrade Government should also walk with private companies that have demonstrated high levels of patriotism.
The same should be applied to all other companies in other sectors. For instance SurfaceWilmar which is in the manufacturing of cooking oil has publicly come out in support of the Government. Noteworthy is that, that company which has foreign Indian investors also has some local indigenous players.
Government also needs to expedite the re-opening of Caps Pharmaceutical towards the stabilisation of pricing in this sector. Elsewhere we read on the recovery of Datlabs in Bulawayo.
It is clear that there are some companies which are part of a ring that seek to sabotage the Government. Those should be identified and dealt with in the best way possible.
What President Mnangagwa needs at this juncture is to continue placing patriotic men and women at the helm of the Civil Service and State Enterprises.
In as much as any country needs foreign investment, no sovereign country needs foreign investment that will weaken its stranglehold on power or oil its collapse.
