People struggle to understand what happened when two years ago Zimbabwe had enough money to buy fuel, pay for electricity and provide basic services -issuing notional documents. All of a sudden money seems to be running out for everything.
The explanation is simple. The rate of misuse of money by those in power has increased.
Money is not always openly misused but can be secretly misused such as the recent case of the former director of state residences facilitating the importation of 81 vehicles duty-free. That is not direct misuse but misuse through denying the state revenue that is due to it.
Just imagine how many state officials are facilitating the evasion of statutory payments by friends, family, and small houses. How much revenue us being lost to that kind of activity.
Hands up those who think the Buggatis and Lamborghinis that were imported during Mnangagwa's tenure paid full duty?
The shortage of money means that those kinds of activities, and direct dipping into state coffers through allocating oneself allowances and the like, has increased to a rate where the economy cannot sustain it anymore.
That is all there is to Zimbabwe's economic woes.
The notion that 'dialogue' can solve a problem is based on the premise that if Zimbabwean political actors are seen to be reconciled, then particularly Western donors can pour in money at a rate that can cover for the shortfall caused by misuse. Or that they can allow Zimbabwe to borrow money from Breton Woods institutions for further misuse.
Anybody who is a little bit versed in international statecraft will know that Western governments have got sophisticated think tanks, researchers and intelligence agencies. Therefore they are very likely to be gathering hard facts for themselves and not just rely on statements made by the government.
They are likely to have full information on goings-on including that which politicians think it is secret.
For that reason, they are unlikely to put in significant money into a system where they know it is going to be misused the moment it lands in Zimbabwe.
Even the Eastern allies of Zimbabwe, China, Malaysia, for example, are keeping their money out of Zimbabwe unless there is an immediate return.
Neighbours as well have become reluctant to subsidize the profligate misuse of money by Zimbabwe politicians. South Africa and Mozambique basically stopped supplying energy (electricity) to Zimbabwe on credit.
The regional political tone towards Zimbabwe has become muted, even hostile, since Mugabe's departure. Mugabe who possessed oratory skills light years ahead of Mnangagwa was famously admired for his pan-African rhetoric in a way that was able to withstand an onslaught of demonizing Western propaganda. Mnangangwa not only lacks similar oratory skills but clearly does not possess the same ideological and philosophical depth as his predecessor. He also seems so desperate to get funding that he quickly rushes announcements without seriously considering the implications on his support base. For all its warts and pimples Zanu-PF was a born an African Nationalist movement that primarily first sought liberation of Africans from colonial talons followed by their economic emancipation. That solid ideological base needs protection and Mnangagwa simply appears out of his depth when it comes to ideology. Perhaps he should consider the fate of the MDC. Despite huge amounts of funding and populist rhetoric has not managed to progress to anything beyond a personality cult, because it lacks a solid ideological foundation. Therefore Mnangagwa should stop thinking that abandoning Zanu-PF's nationalistic stance will yield immediate economic utopia. It is likely to lead to a long term political death. The real solution to Zimbabwe's economic problems lies in tackling the rampant abuse of state authority. And this is not just in the form of criminally prosecutable corruption. The perks and allowances to officials are scandalous. People buy brand new cars in order to be laid off in possession of cars. The leeway which managers are given to abuse state resources in the name of status is obscene. People are running their farms using diesel abusively obtained from departments they are running. Many departments are running without meaningful audit trails or with abuse blatantly passed off as official perks. To fix Zimbabwe's economy, Mnangagwa needs to tackle that ecosystem of abuse. As long it remains in place, money added to the Zimbabwe economy will be like trying to farm fish in a dam full of crocodiles. The pun is entirely accidental. Kufudzira mbudzi musango rine mapere chaiko.
The regional political tone towards Zimbabwe has become muted, even hostile, since Mugabe's departure. Mugabe who possessed oratory skills light years ahead of Mnangagwa was famously admired for his pan-African rhetoric in a way that was able to withstand an onslaught of demonizing Western propaganda. Mnangangwa not only lacks similar oratory skills but clearly does not possess the same ideological and philosophical depth as his predecessor. He also seems so desperate to get funding that he quickly rushes announcements without seriously considering the implications on his support base. For all its warts and pimples Zanu-PF was a born an African Nationalist movement that primarily first sought liberation of Africans from colonial talons followed by their economic emancipation. That solid ideological base needs protection and Mnangagwa simply appears out of his depth when it comes to ideology. Perhaps he should consider the fate of the MDC. Despite huge amounts of funding and populist rhetoric has not managed to progress to anything beyond a personality cult, because it lacks a solid ideological foundation. Therefore Mnangagwa should stop thinking that abandoning Zanu-PF's nationalistic stance will yield immediate economic utopia. It is likely to lead to a long term political death. The real solution to Zimbabwe's economic problems lies in tackling the rampant abuse of state authority. And this is not just in the form of criminally prosecutable corruption. The perks and allowances to officials are scandalous. People buy brand new cars in order to be laid off in possession of cars. The leeway which managers are given to abuse state resources in the name of status is obscene. People are running their farms using diesel abusively obtained from departments they are running. Many departments are running without meaningful audit trails or with abuse blatantly passed off as official perks. To fix Zimbabwe's economy, Mnangagwa needs to tackle that ecosystem of abuse. As long it remains in place, money added to the Zimbabwe economy will be like trying to farm fish in a dam full of crocodiles. The pun is entirely accidental. Kufudzira mbudzi musango rine mapere chaiko.
