By Stephen Chuma
As a party that was born out of a workers movement, we cherish and commemorate the Workers Day.
Not only is it a day that reminds us of our umbilical ties to the working fraternity, but we remember those who toil day and night to make our country great again.
The Workers Day also brings with it a flood of sad memories of a nation that once had a thriving economy, best railway in Southern Africa and booming industry yet all that was destroyed by greedy, corruption and mismanagement.
In essence, the day reminds us of the decimation at the hands of ZANU PF of everything that represents, signify and dignify workers and the economy.
Talk of the once booming Zisco Steel Company, Kadoma Textile industry, Bulawayo railway hub, Cold Storage Commission, Bata…. the list is infinite. That tells you how far we have gone as nation when it comes to destroying everything that represents workers.
As the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly, we however cherish all those toil day and night to save their families through menial and informal jobs like vending.
Indeed they are heroes of our time!
Figures, statistics and facts do not lie and the astronomical levels of unemployment is a marker that both public and private sectors are overwhelmed as far as creating employment for the vast majority is concerned.
This is particularly because we have a government whose economic policies are stinging hence there is fear to invest in such a volatile environment like ours.
Sadly those who control corridors of power in the public sector are the same familiar faces that you see in the private sector.
The same politicians who fail to run government owned businesses are the ones who grabbed private businesses hence failure is written all over.
Expecting both sectors to create enough employment for the bulging unemployed youths is tantamount to expecting flies to produce honey.
No matter the bigger the number, it will not work. Simple!
Besides the hollow and shallow political mantras like “Zimbabwe Is Open For Business”, the country needs a genuine, robust and sound economic blue print like MDC’s SMART document to attract direct foreign investment while at the same benefiting the locals.
We demand policies that are pro-poor and not just for the benefit of a few politically connected elites and cabals like Kuda Tagwirei, Billy Rautenbach and the looting lot.
Only until such a time when we have businesses that make profit while at the same time benefiting the majority and not a few individuals can we talk of growing our workforce.
Otherwise our best brains continue to flock and flood foreign labour markets and not our unfriendly labour shores.
As Youth Assembly, our message to workers is clear, short and simple.
Let us unite and dismantle ZANU PF dictatorship!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
