PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s resolution for 2015 should be singular and very simple: To put the economy of the country first and stop making excuses for failing to make Zimbabwe work again in the New Year.
After holidaying in the Far East, Mugabe has had ample time and relaxation to prioritise the resuscitation of the economy which has been “dead” since his controversial e re-election on July 31 2013.
In fact, his resolution for the New Year must read: To revive the health of the economy.
For the past twelve months, Zimbabweans have endured many hardships reminiscent of the period before the consummation of the ill-fated government of national unity in February 2009 when the Zanu PF strongman was forced to share power with his nemeses Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube.
Continued forced closure of companies, galloping unemployment, poor service delivery, and a severe liquidity crunch threatening the production are the order of the day. There is no service delivery to talk of in the major towns and cities.
Most roads are littered with dangerous potholes. The list gets longer by the day as citizens flee to successful neighbouring countries.
What is undoubted is that the prevailing economic quagmire needs a leadership with exceptional wisdom not unhelpful denials from spin-doctors and a cowed public media which has the temerity to claim Zimbabwe’s economy will blossom in 2015 despite citizens emerging from a gloomy festive season. Mugabe has no choice but to put the nation’s economy first in 2015.
Maybe expecting this from him is asking for too much. Over 34 years in power have given the illusion that he is bigger than the country and to him the country comes last after him and his family.
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Critics argue that would the 90-year-old president were to really put the country first in 2015, he would step down first of all and then allow the people of Zimbabwe to elect new leadership freely and fairly.
If this could be done, then other things that would put Zimbabwe on the right path would follow. Of late he has appeared to be subject to manipulation by different factions in his family, party and the government.
Zanu PF has a penchant of looking for external scapegoats; the favourite pastime being targeted measures slapped Mugabe and his inner circle by the West.
But what has come of the much-trumpeted Look East policy, the megadeals recently signed with Russia and the dead in the water good-for-nothing ZimAsset? 2015 should not be a time for excuses.
