NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM MAI MUJURU
MY FELLOW CITIZENS, COUNTRYMEN AND FRIENDS,
As we come to the end of 2015, an eventful year politically, we wish to thank the Almighty for seeing us through. We wish to commend our law abiding and peace loving citizens. As a nation, we are confronted by a sluggish and dying economy, lack of democratic space and plenty of poverty on the majority of our people, which is a result of a corrupt political leadership without focus on the well being of the people. We should realise that without an understanding and a commitment by the country’s leadership to BUILD a vibrant economy for the benefit of our people, we are doomed. The liberation struggle was about the restoration of self-determination, self-dignity and self-pride which we had been denied by the minority settler regime.
We have a situation where in order to survive, everyone is a vendor, but there are no buyers, because the workers (buyers) have either been laid off or not paid for months, resulting in a lack of currency in circulation. We see people rendered homeless in this rainy season due to demolitions by the corrupt authorities or well-connected and corrupt individuals. The erection of structures now deemed illegal was sanctioned by either the responsible authorities or well connected individuals. The issue is that at some stage it was politically expedient to allow the structures to go up or outright corruption at play. The end loser and sufferer is the ordinary man, woman and child.
Is there hope in the future?
Constitutionalism
In a constitutional democracy, the ordinary man and woman have the ultimate weapon of freedom of association and expression. This manifests itself in a political call for action and change to address the adverse economic and social conditions. In a constitutional democracy, no person would feel threatened or risk personal harm, as these are constitutionally enshrined rights. In a constitutional democracy, there is a clear separation of the Party and the State for the benefit of all citizens, as non-Party members are not prejudiced, targeted or victimised on political grounds. Where there is rule of law, all the people who authorised the erection of illegal structures, which are now being demolished, would be brought to book. Women, Youths, Children and the Disabled are the hardest hit by these adverse conditions. We should embrace, reflect and uphold the letter and spirit of our State Constitution in our various statutes.
Economy
Faced with an imminent drought season, and a political management team without focus, there is no credit finance, irrigation infrastructure, or marketing mechanisms to mitigate the agricultural challenges that lie ahead. The investment environment is crowded by multiple incoherent policies, inadequate and unaffordable credit finance and an urgent need to reform a parasitic, non-performing parastatal sector. This has given rise to economic decay and ghost city status to once thriving commercial and industrial hubs like Bulawayo, Gweru, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and other towns across the country. We should adopt investor friendly and market driven policies to curb corruption and stimulate economic activity.
Inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure.
We have to urgently create a conducive environment for investment whilst highlighting opportunities presented by our challenges. There is a huge investment potential from our severe energy shortfall. There are opportunities in both new and renewable energy sectors. Our dilapidated rail and road networks, inadequate water supplies and poor sanitation in our cities, towns and rural centers also present other investment opportunities. We should encourage and build on the healthy competition emerging in the telecoms sector, without stifling this with crude State participation, other than as a regulator for the common good.
International Relations and National Security
No man is an island, therefore Zimbabwe cannot run away from the fact that it is a sovereign State, that is part of a global village, with responsibilities to its people and the world at large. We should therefore engage all, East and West, North and South who can help us achieve and enhance the well being of our people. We should build bridges with our perceived foes and consolidate our relations with all those who wish to be our true friends. We pay tribute to our security forces for the peace and tranquility that we presently enjoy and we do not for one moment take it for granted. If anything, this calls for the maintenance of a professional and well-resourced security sector.
Social Space
As we see in the New Year, we should acknowledge the urgent need to address the education, health and housing sectors that are under severe stress due to inadequate and limited resources. During 2015, the economic and social hardships faced by our people were on the increase as depressing poverty took root everywhere. We should realise that the bulk of our people are not fully or properly served by our education, health and housing sectors due to lack of economic capacity to fend for themselves. We should have a government that empowers its people to address basic day-to-day challenges. We should have a government that promotes institutions that are well resourced to ensure service delivery to the ordinary people without political or partisan discrimination and interference. The dire housing situation resulting in the exploitation of the poor by the corrupt and well connected in society should be stopped. We should have consistent and predictable policies that are enforced vigorously, where all economic or social culprits are brought to book without fear or favour.
Let us not lose hope; we are masters of our own destiny.
Iwe neni tine basa rekuvaka Zimbabwe murunyararo.
Wena lami silom’sebenzi wokwakha iZimbabwe elokuthula.
Together we can BUILD Zimbabwe in peace.
GOD BLESS ZIMBABWE.
………………………
DR. J.T.R MUJURU
31 DECEMBER 2015