By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo| The level of dishonesty and chicanery in our country has ballooned and distended to another level whose summit blows with callous fallacy as evidenced by the current Finance Minister’s bold claim that we have a surplus budget of over 100 million dollars when thousands of people are suffering.  People are getting home as late as 2300 hours every day after spending long hours queuing for unreliable and inadequate and unroad-worthy ZUPCO buses. Where is our money and resources going?

We have diamonds worthy over 10 billion USD in Marange alone, according to experts.

Where is the money going? Is the money miraculously bypassing the treasury into the pockets of sacred cows? Who then shall guard the guard? In Midlands, we have gold that is worthy 100 Billion United States dollars but we have nothing to show for the country with towns in the province being an eyesore. Where is our money going? We have gold belt in Zvishavane, Kwekwe, Gweru, Shurugwi, Kadoma and Chegutu, and the belt stretches to Mutorashanga. That’s the Great Dyke. Where are all these minerals going?

The new dispensation, judging from the progress and the way it manages resources, is the greatest fraud of century. Since its inception in 2017 after a successful Operation Restore Legacy, we don’t have tangible projects yet the country is teeming with minerals. Where is our money going?

Our roads are deplorable and we have no spaghetti road in the capital. What is the problem? Zimbabwe is exporting gold worthy 100 million United States dollars a month.

Where is the money going Mr. President? Central Bank of Zimbabwe reported that we export over USD 1.2 billion worthy of Gold, every year. Who is hiding the money in their pockets Mr. President? 

It is reported that Sakunda Holdings owned by Kudakwashe Tagwirei has a tender to supply buses from China and each bus is estimated over 250 000 United States Dollars. Laughable as it may appear but disheartening if it turns out to be true. Is this the country we want Mr. President?

We are the second largest platinum producer in the world but we are one of the poorest countries in Africa and brilliant minds are leaving the country daily to look for greener pastures. 

Few days ago, the country’s Vice President Cde Constantino Chiwenga opened St Anne’s Hospital, a Nigel Chanakira and other business moguls’ initiative which seeks to address the health conundrums in the country. The Solidarity Trust of Zimbabwe that Chanakira chaired for six months between April and October 2020 helped them to prepare St Anne’s Hospital as aCcovid-19 treatment center by raising funds from local and international donors.Nevertheless, we don’t expect the government to open hospitals that are already there but to build more hospitals to improve the health situation. We indeed need to be a serious nation.

Zimbabwe was one of the few African countries to have a Television. 40 years down the line, Zimbabwe is the only African country with a single TV station. This the greatest betrayal by our leaders as far as media pluralism is concerned. Fed up families and our children no longer subject themselves to unbearable ZTV content, they are watching mostly South African content. This is something we must be ashamed of as the country.

Our neighboring countries like South Africa, Zambia and Botswana have more than five TV stations whereas Zimbabwe has one. It is sad.Instead of concentrating on development, the leadership is busy recalling elected parliamentarians, amending the constitution, foisting partisan judges on us, posing for photos after receiving donations and laughably forcing itself over official openings of bridges for other countries. 

I have simple questions which I need your response Your Excellence

1. What is really happening with our money Mr. President?
2. Where are our resources going Mr. President?
3. What is the direction of this country Mr. President?
4. Who is in charge of this country Mr. President?
5. Where are the promises you made in 2017 and in 2018 Mr. President?

We cannot have a Cabinet that sits to discuss about Mbudzi roundabout, street kids, fixing robots and other less important issues. We need the Cabinet to zeros in on development issues and modalities to turnaround the economy. 

Let me just give you a few tips;
Create more cities around Harare to decongest the capital cityWe need more flyovers and better roads in the countryWe need more malls around to decongest the Central Business DistrictWe need a proper urban planning. 

Projects like Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguvi can be delegated to private sectors, and this can boost tourism sector. The role of Government is to create opportunities.

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST, he can be contacted at [email protected]