By Nevson Mpofu Munhumutapa
President ED Mnangagwa arrived in Russia where he is expected to co-ordinate deeper further economic relations at the Russia-Africa Economic Summit. He upon arrival took a swipe on Western powers behind what he calls illegal sanctions.
‘’ SADC has set aside Friday 25 a day for solidarity of SADC countries to stand firm against sanctions, Sanctions, Sanctions ‘’,
ED reiterates that sanctions have degraded the country’s economy. The coming in of SADC somewhere, somehow has come as relief.
‘’Zimbabwe’s Economy has gone down because of sanctions of which SADC has now come to our rescue. This solidarity shows our togetherness as nation.
‘’We are not here to procure guns like what some media sections writes. We are here to consolidate economic relations with a country that helped us become independent’’.
‘’Zimbabwe is a Democracy in which State people are free to talk and dream what -ever they want. We do not need a mediator. We need SADC on our side.’’
ED Mnangagwa points out that Zimbabwe lost billions through sanctions. Secondly, it loses lines of credit. Thirdly, loss of International Global Capital.
However Political Analysts, Business, Opposition Leaders have talked in negative perspective. Many people in the general Zimbabwean public have criticised ED as a failure, MDC as the obstacle to development and the late Robert Mugabe as better.
Top Political Analyst Alfred Chivende who works for a Political Civil Society looking at Accountability in Governance issues said there is much to talk about apart from what is said day and night,
‘’Mnangagwa is hitting what he fails to gun down. Sanctions, What kind of sanctions now. How much have they taken as compared to corruption? Real issues of concern lies on corruption. What do you think has taken more’’?
Opposition has given a comment as well. A Political enthusiast to MDC Jacob Magombedze blames Government for failing to curb corruption since the early 1980s.
‘’We have corruption not sanctions. What has been in practice and evidence got much publicity. Corruption is the challenge. We will not just do it out without telling truth. The current leadership is answerable as well.’’
Speaking on the side of the Corporate World, Industrialist John Magombedze of the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe blames the Government and people on the land.
‘’Just imagine some-one has hectares of land but no production. Let us remember, there is no production in the 3 sectors of the economy, Agriculture, Mining, Manufacturing and Tourism.
‘’There is nowhere, nothing and non to talk .The Government in power has no solutions. No sanctions. Do you expect to get good from people you angered? Whites have not been compensated. How can we be friendly yet we owe someone something big’’.
Zimbabweans have un-pinned hope on the current Leadership. Even those under ZANU PF support remains critical to the ailing leadership that has failed to rescue the people from extreme poverty.
