SENIOR Minister of State Simon Khaya Moyo on Monday attacked civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as academics saying their three-day conference currently underway in Bulawayo had deliberately sidelined the government’s development agenda.
LUYANDUHLOBO MAKWATI/GAMMA MUDARIKIRI
Moyo, who was invited to officially open the three-day indaba, said the conference’s objectives were parallel to Zanu PF’s agenda of developing the country as neither the ruling Zanu PF party’s campaign manifesto, indigenisation policy nor its economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socioeconomic Transformation (Zim Asset) were on the conference’s discussion documents.
“I am failing to understand how organisers of this event invited me to officiate at this event and sent a concept paper which did not reflect any of the issues outlined in the Zanu PF economic blueprint. We asked ourselves as Zanu PF if this conference was misguided,” Moyo said.
“We in government seem to be sidelined and we are good as passengers on a train whose destiny we are not aware off,” he said.
Moyo criticised civil society and NGOs saying they were not genuine to the Zimbabwe cause and were serving interests of Western countries which imposed sanctions and which he labelled as Zanu PF’s enemies.
“We need NGOs that are homegrown not those that pander to the whims and caprices of our erstwhile enemies who have imposed declared and undeclared sanctions on our country.”
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Moyo said there was need for civil society to be informed by the Zanu PF economic blueprint Zim Asset in its project concerning the country’s development.
He, however, said some of the conference discussion areas was just a mere replica of the Zanu PF blueprint in developing the country although he lashed out at the organisers of the conference for deliberately sidelining his party’s election manifesto.
“I think the organisers of the event chose not to read our manifesto and I will send a truck full of the Zim Asset booklets so that you members of the civil society could read them and stop talking about what you don’t understand.”
Moyo also said despite the conference including the country’s top universities such as the National University of Science and Technology, University of Zimbabwe and the Midlands State University, it was not informed by government policy.
“I wonder how academics from these three influential State-run universities are busy discussing how to improve the country’s economy and not mentioning anything to do with Zim Asset. It’s hard to believe this,” Moyo added.
