Last week the United Nations stated that three countries, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Congo, have a ‘Human Development Index’ lower than they had in 1970. This represents 40 years of lousy leadership and failed economic policies in all three countries. Strangely, all three are enormously rich in natural resources and have great potential.

I was not at all surprised by the Congo and ourselves, but the inclusion of Zambia in this group of three global failures was a surprise. It suddenly made me realize how long it takes to get back ground lost in periods of poor governance and economic collapse. I remember the Zambia episode because I had family in Zambia at the time. It was five years after Independence when Kaunda announced that all companies that employed more than 100 people had to have majority Zambian ownership (sounds familiar!).

The result was immediate, economic activity just crashed, investment fled and Zambia slid into a donga of stagnation and failure. From a peak when they produced a substantial proportion of the global demand for copper, the newly nationalized mines slumped into insignificance and the former owners took their dollars and invested elsewhere.

When finally, after 30 years, the Zambian people were able to cast off the corrupting mantle of Kaunda, the new government was slow to put things back on their feet. It took another change of government after Chiluba to start things moving and they reversed the policies of Kaunda and sold off the mines.

That was in the first years of the new Century and for the past five years, Zambia has been growing rapidly. So much so that they have watched the collapse in Zimbabwe with a sense of justification in their own political and economic actions and policies. Where once they suffered from snide remarks by Zimbabweans about the Zambian Kwacha, they gasped as we went even further and more rapidly than they had, down the slope of inflation and collapse.

Once economic growth resumes, people relax and think that times are better and they can look forward. However, they seldom count the real cost of the wasted years and here is the United Nations reminding them of just that, Zambians are worse off today than they had been after Independence in the early 60′s. What a tragedy and what a waste of all the hopes and aspirations of the struggle for democracy and independence.

In Zimbabwe the failure has been even greater than it was in Zambia and more precipitous. The foundations of the collapse were laid in the first two decades of Independence when the new Government could do no wrong and was allowed to get away with both economic and political violations that in other areas of the world would have wrought instant condemnation.

Poor macro and micro economic policies retarded growth and distorted incomes, the budget deficit ran at unsustainable levels through the whole period increasing public debt, which at Independence had been a paltry $700 million, to $6 000 million equal to two years exports or 80 per cent of GDP. When finally the State went just too far, the collapse was instant and dramatic. Mr. Mugabe ordered the payment of Z$3,5 billion to war  veterans – unbudgeted and completely beyond the capacity of the economy. Punishment by the markets was immediate and the Zimbabwe dollar crashed.

10 years later the inflation peaked at world record levels, a loaf of bread cost a billion Zimbabwe dollars and salaries were worthless hours after they were paid. All savings were destroyed – the accumulated surpluses of a century of hard work and effort by the entire nation, wiped out. All banks, building societies, all pension funds and other financial institutions were bankrupted. Tax revenues were essentially worthless. Zimbabweans were beggars and 75 per cent of the entire population was being fed on a daily basis by a consortium led by the United States in the largest food aid programme in any country at any time in history.

Rescued by South Africa and the region, the Transitional Government was negotiated and came into being in February 2009. The Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned, the Reserve Bank isolated and rendered ineffective and the economy completely liberalized – no exchange controls, no price controls. What remained of the economy was kept afloat by nearly a billion dollars of aid and over a billion dollars of remittances from the 5 million Zimbabwe refugees that had fled the chaos into other countries, especially South Africa.

In February 2009, the total tax collected was $5 million. The Minister had to borrow funds from a local company to pay the 250 000 civil servants $100 a month irrespective of seniority. Our international debt had soared to $7,6 billion – ten times the debt in 1980 and equivalent to 5 years of exports and 150 per cent of GDP. Zimbabwe was suddenly in the lowest quintile of the poor in the world, surrounded by the debris of 100 years of conflict, hard work, development, aid and hopes. The most educated people in Africa with one of the most highly qualified (in academic terms) governments in the world were on the bones of their backsides.

It was the consequence, not of ‘sanctions’ as the Zanu PF propagandists would argue, but of poor government and bad policy. First, by Ian Smith who took us into the political morass of UDI and then a futile war where we would win all the battles and lose in the end. Then the flawed process leading to the formation of a Zanu PF government with all the promise of a new start, only to find ourselves caught in a savage struggle for complete political control that was to persist through the demise of Zapu in 1987 and the elimination of all the attempts at democratic plurality in the 90′s to the struggle against the MDC after 2000.

In the process we have destroyed what was once a diversified and vibrant economy, we had wrecked our agricultural system – not just the farming industry but the support infrastructure and organized marketing that carried it through the years of UDI and was the backbone of growth from 1980 to 1997. Our manufacturing industry lies in shreds and our financial sector is still very fragile. We are heavily indebted and have little to show for it. Our people are poor, marginalized and humiliated and it will take us many years to recover to where we were at Independence in 1980.

The extent of this collapse is still not fully appreciated by Zanu PF. However it is clear that they fully understand the reasons and the remedies. This collapse was a deliberate act of national economic suicide and the so-called ‘indigenisation’ laws are simply an extension of this economic sabotage and subversion. The reason? Any economic recovery will be attributed to the MDC and its team of Ministers and quite rightly so.

Since Mr. Mugabe simply refused to implement agreed GPA based reforms some three weeks ago, Mr. Tsvangirai has been engaged in an exercise to bring the influence of regional leaders into the crisis. He has refused to meet Mr. Mugabe and is touring the country holding report back meetings. He has written to all African leaders who have a role to play and this past week MDC raised the temperature by closing down the Senate when the illegally appointed Governors tried to enter the Senate Chamber.

This has now triggered a response from the region and a SADC summit has been called and some SADC leaders are pushing for the immediate deployment of a SADC team to oversee the reform and electoral process. Mr. Zuma has also come in with a strong message calling for the immediate implementation of all outstanding agreed GPA reforms and the holding of an election as soon as possible.

Eddie Cross is the MDC MP for Bulawayo South. This article first appeared on his website www.eddiecross.africanherd.com

One universally acknowledged strength of this country is that it is endowed with good people.

Go to South Africa, Australia, the UK, America – to virtually any corner of this world and ask the opinion of those who have met Zimbabweans and they will tell you without any hesitation that, despite everything else that the tyranny has taken from them, Zimbabwean people have retained their fundamental good nature.

It is extremely sad, therefore, that some among us have allowed themselves to be manipulated by forces of darkness masquerading as liberators into terrorising our innocent, law-abiding and vulnerable people.

Good people do not grab each other’s throats in Buhera. They do not go about terrorising children and adults old enough to be their parents in Mwenezi. Good people do not chop off each other’s hands, burn each other alive, disturb other citizens’ peace and quiet, dispossess fellow citizens of hard earned belongings and summarily eject them from their homes. All this safe in the knowledge that their deeds – no matter how brutish – will go unpunished.

Good people have principles. They build and do not destroy. They are progressive and not regressive. They will not terrorise anyone for Mugabe or Tsvangirai. They listen to each other; learn from each other; respect one another. They work for the common good of their country. These are the Zimbabweans I know; the Zimbabweans we can be again.

Terrorism and violence are destroying the hopes of millions of our people. Across the nation anxiety is replacing anticipation.

So long as we continue to terrorise one another we will plunge this country further into the tunnel of darkness, a tunnel from which we may never emerge. Victory will go to those who prefer hatred to love; animosity to peace; repression to democracy.

The trauma that this country was made to endure in previous elections, most especially in the period leading up to the June 27 presidential run-off, is well documented. It was so terrible an experience that it affected not only the victims and the perpetrators – for dozens of perpetrators afterwards came out and regretted their participation – but it stalled the progress that this country was about to achieve and set an otherwise beautiful country on an ugly path.

We should not, however, be so naïve as to accept the mendacious mantra that only ZANU PF supporters were and remain the sole perpetrators of the violence. ZANU PF supporters are certainly the main culprits but they are not alone in their culpability. For crying out loud, they now even terrorise one another at Harvest House!

As the dictator said in 1980, an evil remains an evil. Today we say, it remains so whether it is committed by ZANU PF against the MDC or by the MDC against ZANU PF.

However, now is not the time for finger-pointing. Our political leaders must be challenged to make tolerance and mutual respect a top priority because the future of Zimbabwe as a secure and democratic country depends upon it. Conflict between MDC and ZANU PF supporters threatens that future, holds back the legitimate aspirations of the Zimbabwean people, and destabilizes an entire nation.

The leadership of the Unity Government must quickly bring this political turmoil to a sustainable end and stop the lurching stop-start of the last few months. Make no mistake about it, it will require positive steps from them, a pragmatic approach to bring about a pragmatic result.

If Mugabe can go to Muzarabani to canvass for votes, he can go to Buhera to condemn the well documented and well known acts of political violence there. He certainly can go to Epworth.

If Tsvangirai can go to Bulawayo to plead with voters to elect him, he can go to Inyanga where many continue to live in fear. He certainly can go to Headlands.

It is no longer enough to denounce violence from the cosy and peaceful environment of one’s office or while enjoying uninterrupted electrical supply in a multi-bedroomed, western style mansion.

It is not helpful either to waste precious time referring to anything and everything as ‘null and void’ when what the people of Mwenezi, Bindura, Masvingo, Inyanga, Epworth, Glen Norah and the several other terrorism-stricken parts of our country need is effective action- action that requires that people be on the ground as opposed to being in Borrowdale, Strathaven or Munhumutapa.

Only positive action will deter the dark forces of hatred, division and destruction operating in contemporary Zimbabwe.

If we do not act now, we miss a crucial opportunity to put our country on the course to democracy and may very well miss it for many more years to come.

Let us end the carnage NOW. Let us stop the terror NOW. Let us promote tolerance and mutual respect NOW.

There are many who will seek to throw sand in the gears of any attempt to move from violence to peace. To those we say Zimbabwe is not for you.

© Maziwisa LLB
Interim President the Union for Sustainable Democracy
leader@usd.org.zw

A Zimbabwean think-tank has published a report on ways that Zimbabwe could be rebuilt after decades of misrule. The report, published by The University of Manchester’s Brooks World Poverty Institute and launched by Finance Minister Tendai Biti, has among other recommendations, proposed an expatriate income tax, and fees for citizenship and a diasporean vote.

The suggestion of expatriate taxation has met with strong disapproval among diasporean commentators. But although the idea of income tax may be disagreeable, the proposal for a fee for voting should be strongly supported.

The universal covenant between a citizen and a government is basically this: “I pay my taxes and in return I get protection, citizenship rights, a vote and a civil service to administer the national infrastructure”.

Citizens should remember that this covenant works both ways. Of course there must be no taxation without representation, and so logically there can be no representation without taxation. A citizen has responsibilities as well as privileges.
(The USA taxes the income earned by its citizens working outside the US.  It does this in order to be able to provide social security and to finance US protection of its citizens abroad. Denmark, Norway, Morocco and many other countries do the same).

It is clear that the rebuilding of Zimbabwe requires finance from somewhere, and although expat income tax may come under discussion, it may never become law. But a fee for keeping one’s citizenship and being able to vote is an entirely separate proposition.

That the Zimbabwean diaspora could be allowed a vote will be a huge improvement on the present arrangement – where citizens abroad have no voting rights  at all. No huge outcry has been heard about that – but the minute a fee is proposed, the objections come thick and fast. “Voting rights are inalienable..,” shouts one. “Citizenship is a birthright..,” screams another. Both of these opinions are correct, but these overseas shouters have not objected to being disenfranchised before now!

It is normal to pay a fee for, say, the renewal of a passport, ID book or driving license. It is universally understood that secure documents such as these cost money to administer, to verify, print and deliver to the citizen.

It is therefore entirely practical to propose a fee to cover the cost of expat balloting. The country is broke; it has no resources to set up and run polling stations in every country where there may be a population of Zimbabwean citizens. Elections are costly, even in-country. How much more expensive would they be to operate from overseas?  Consider such items as the cost of ballot papers, ballot boxes, the salaries of polling officials, the security, the counters, the observers, and the final validation and transmission of the results.

Zimbabweans should remember that, in the years before 1980, the right to vote was hard bought. Many even paid the ultimate price: in the people’s chimurengas, they paid with their lives for the right to vote. Now, thirty years later, the people feel they should complain about a proposed expat voting fee of a few dollars?

The Zanu-PF side of the Zimbabwean Inclusive Government is very strongly against the idea of a diasporean vote. This alone should galvanise those citizens living abroad to do everything in their power to make sure they get it.

And for those commentators who plead the poverty of the refugee masses – the starving and vulnerable diasporeans in South Africa -  rather than shout the idea down, let them start to organise sponsors, donors and other campaigns to either help those voters get a ballot – or simply go home and vote for free.

Three million voters at the next election could sweep away any doubt as to how many, and how much, Zimbabweans are prepared to pay for change.

Printing a new currency simply did not make sense, who would accept the new currency? Banks are busy printing US$ denominated cheque books and do not accept deposits of Zimbabwe dollars in any of its iterations. The sudden re-introduction of a new Zim dollar would mean a rapid and possibly complete collapse of the already fragile economy – empty shops and no fuel. It ran the risk of provoking a national revolt and it was doubtful if the army or the police would accept the new currency. A violent reaction would be probable; certainly the people did not want to see a new local currency so soon after the 2008 collapse. Was the Mugabe faction intending to provoke civil unrest, so as to have a good excuse for violent repression?

After much speculation, only one logical explanation emerged – Zanu PF was contemplating a UDI from the region rather than go along with what they regard as political suicide. This made complete sense – they could fire the MDC leadership, appoint “caretaker Ministers” and simply go it alone. Issue the new currency and exile Mr. Tsvangirai. That is exactly what Ian Smith had done in 1965 in reaction to what the Rhodesian leadership regarded as unreasonable political demands by the international community.

But on reflection, even the crazies in Zanu (and there are many) would soon appreciate that Smith could only contemplate such a move, encouraged by regional support from neighbouring States, particularly South Africa. Zimbabwe is a land locked State and very dependent on its neighbours. It is now also an economic minnow – with a GDP today of less than Swaziland or Lesotho. A large army but poorly equipped and motivated. No major sponsors after China and other international States began to distance themselves from Zanu PF and its widely perceived rogue status.

Any talk of a UDI from the regional bloc would soon be heard in Pretoria and I have no doubt that it would be dealt with swiftly. So I do not expect to have to spend the next few weeks in a detention centre. I think the new currency has quietly gone into storage at the Reserve Bank and will not be heard of again. I would guess that after a tense two weeks, the negotiators would be in discussion this weekend to decide what to recommend on the way forward on the issues to the Party leadership.

One is the arms embargo and targeted travel ban on individuals, which ZanuPF shrilly denounces as ‘illegal sanctions’.
The other is the existence of shortwave radio stations that are not under their direct control.

The world is clearly not allowed to do things without ZanuPF’s permission!

But, with ZanuPF’s blessing, anything goes:
On 7 September 2009, the (ZanuPF) Minister of Media, Information and Publicity, Webster Shamu,  was ‘delighted’ to launch H-Metro, a new daily tabloid which has been published without a license by the Zimpapers group, in violation of the current media laws.

Minister Shamu used the occasion to attack ‘pirate’ radio stations which, he claimed, were being enabled by the MDC element in government:

“…what must also stop is the continuing situation where some parties in the GPA continue to aid and abet illegal, extraterritorial pirate broadcasts which violate our sovereignty in the name of media freedoms. The GPA the often quoted GPA – disallows this as gross external interference in the affairs of our country. These stations – all of them sited in countries that have slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions – are a violation of the GPA. To the extent that they persist well into the Inclusive Government, they amount to an outstanding matter which must be addressed by those who needed them, indeed created and legitimised them in the name of struggling for their own brand of democracy here.”

SW Radio Africa, ‘The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe’ was asked to comment on the minister’s statement, and if indeed they would obediently shut down if ‘some parties in the GPA’ asked them to. Their reply was:

SW Radio Africa would like to reiterate that it is not ‘pirate’ radio station. Our broadcasts are legal under international law governing shortwave radio broadcasts.
Additionally we won the right to set up Zimbabwe’s first independent radio station in the country’s Supreme Court – when the full bench of the court agreed with our right to freedom of expression under Zimbabwe’s constitution. Unfortunately Robert Mugabe used his presidential powers to overturn that court ruling and have us forcibly shut down in 2000. Since then no independent radio station has been licensed.
We regret the fact that the closure of ‘external’ radio stations is part of the GPA, as we are a private and independent company staffed and managed by Zimbabweans, and no one has any influence or control over our broadcasts.
We would not voluntarily shut down if asked by the MDC or the GPA, or anyone else, as we believe absolutely in the right of Zimbabweans to have access to free and independent news and information.
Gerry Jackson
Station Manager

Minister Shamu’s allegations that ‘some parties’ in Zimbabwe’s inclusive government created, or have control over, external radio stations remain to be proved. Voice of America’s Studio 7 also broadcasts into Zimbabwe.

The minister insists that the provisions in the GPA regarding the media should be followed to the letter – but the privatisation of ZBC is not on his agenda. Perhaps Finance Minister Biti should consider ZBC and the Zimpapers shareholding in his list of state assets to be sold off.

Is there is now a case for the other members of the GPA to sit on the board of both ZBC and Zimpapers? If the Zimpapers Group is 70% owned by the Inclusive Government, surely all partners in the GPA should have equal representation on the Zimpapers board of directors?

Media groups are already calling for the suspension of all Zimpapers titles on the grounds that they have not been properly licensed. ZWNews reported that: “Media analysts have suggested that if H-Metro is – as the minister claims - not owned by the state, then it needs a permit, without which government would have no option but to shut it down. The same would apply to any other unlicenced mastheads in the ZimPapers stable.”

In his speech Minister Shamu emphasised that Zimpapers was government owned, with a 70% majority shareholding, adding, “Let it be pronounced here that Zimpapers is not a State enterprise.”  He then pointed out that wholly state-owned media (such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation) were exempt from the media laws.
“My ministry will not condone the breaking of the law,” he declared.

Is he a schizophrenic? No. He is just using standard ZanuPF dual-thinking techniques: The law must be applied, except to ourselves.

Some say democracy means doing anything that you want even if doesn’t make sense. I knew the word democracy but I did not get into its deep meaning when I joined the Movement for Democratic Change back in 1999. It was my first ever time to engage myself into party politics. One of the reasons why I joined MDC apart from Mugabe must go was this word democracy. I thought this democracy does exist and as a Zimbabwean I will only be able to grab it when Mugabe is out of power, unfortunately not.

I thought democracy only meant expressing yourself, to run, demonstrate and march in the streets and not be beaten by the police. I thought it was only when I was wearing an MDC t-shirt and war veterans were wearing their Zanu t-shirts and no one cared. I do not think democracy does exist. If democracy does exist Mugabe was supposed to be behind bars and Morgan Tsvangirai was not going to sign the GNU. He was supposed to be the legitimate president of Zimbabwe if democracy does exist.

Where can you find this democracy in the world?  Let me see in America, no, Martin Luther was killed fighting for blacks in America. That is not democracy. In Zimbabwe, Morgan won the election 29 March 2008 but was denied to rule. In Botswana and South Africa fellow Africans who are refugees protected by UNHCR and taxed by the governments when they buy anything in the shops are denied access to hospital when they are sick from incurable diseases. That is not democracy, in fact it is an unfair abuse of the word itself.

My friend a refugee in Hillbrow said democracy does not exist, if it does exist why cant we have an Ndebele president, a president from Bulawayo?

Now I understand that democracy is not just becoming free to wear things of a party you support. Democracy is broad. If democracy was there Mugabe was not going to announce that the government needs to adopt the Kariba Draft constitution. The constitution was going to be done in local languages and by visual mechanisms so that those who do not know how to read and write can also participate. That will be democracy.

People say democracy is very expensive and it is true, you can shed blood, have a lot of money and even rule for thirty years but it will be impossible to achieve, buy or get democracy. For sure democracy is expensive. I now realise that democracy is a never get freedom. Another man said democracy is a Ntikoloshe. A Ntikoloshe is a creature that is used by witch doctors and bewitches people at night and cannot be seen.

If democracy really existed there will no fighting of equality between men and women.  ln democracy people elect their representative in parliament there will be no fighting for position. There was supposed to be no parliament which will pass laws against some of the people even they are the ones who elected them. So democracy is unfair or does not exist.

The implications of this statement were clear – previous elections were not seen as free and fair and the shorter the life of the inclusive government the better. President Zuma signaled strongly that until the electoral situation has been resolved there will be no rescue package.

Many diplomats have commented that the support needed for the reconstruction of the country will not materialize until President Robert Mugabe has gone. It is believed that until that time, the goodwill money that does enter Zimbabwe will continue to go to nongovernmental institutions rather than to the state and it is specifically designed to relieve the humanitarian crisis rather than get the economy up and running.

The South African government is clearly in no doubt regarding the importance of Zimbabwe and its role in the SADC region. Without a properly functioning economy in Zimbabwe the whole region could be negatively affected through interrupted trading, currency inequalities and lack of solid infrastructure across the entire trading bloc.

In addition, while the Zimbabwe economy continues to decline – or free fall in most instances – desperate Zimbabweans are entering South Africa in their hundreds of thousands in order to find work, earn money and support themselves and their families.

Earlier in 2008, the influx of so called “foreigners” had a major impact on some local South Africans who reacted with a violence born out of fear and poverty. A stable Zimbabwe will encourage Zimbabweans to return to their country and assist in the rebuilding of what was once regarded as the “market garden of Africa” – a country of plenty with a strong and vibrant economy.

South Africa has more than enough of its own local challenges which have been well documented; negative growth rate for the first time since majority rule, high levels of unemployment that are increasing now due to the global economic meltdown, high levels of crime which are not abating as fast as government has promised and the citizens have demanded. Further influxes of Zimbabwean refugees will not help this situation, as many have commented.

A stable region is essential to the well being of all of the countries in the SADC region and Zimbabwe has a pivotal role in this area. It is clear from the South African president’s comments that South Africa will continue to play a strong role in Zimbabwe’s present and future as its citizens can be in no doubt that their own futures will be much improved as conditions in Zimbabwe improve.

In the same speech earlier this week, President Zuma vowed, “Working with Africa and the rest of the world, we will pursue African advancement and enhanced international co-operation. We will ensure sustainable resource management and use.” South Africa’s own success is at the heart of this vow and can only be assured by the success of the Zimbabwe economy along with evidence of the Zimbabwean government’s support of its own people.

The destruction of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe is symbolised by Operation Murambatsvina, which began on May 25 (Africa Day) in 2005. Virtually all the township homes and informal sector business singled out for demolition by Mugabe’s bulldozers – including this once thriving area of Mbare township in Harare – belonged to people who voted for the opposition MDC in the previous elections.