Recently Zimbabwe's finance minister Patrick Chinamasa testified before a parliamentary committee supposedly investigating Zimbabwe's economic woes.
The minister blamed the exclusive use of foreign currencies (referred to as dollarisation since the US dollar is the most used currency) as the prime evil in creating these problems.
The erstwhile comrade seems to have forgotten that he is the one who announced dollarisation in the first place. The wheel has turned a full circle but the economy has remained stuck in the mud. He is now blaming his own idea. Surely it should be obvious to the minister that other things apart from the currency regime are responsible for the economic stagnation.
My long held view is, as long as the government is living beyond its means, as long as the government is spending TOO MUCH of taxes collected in Zimbabwe OUTSIDE the country, there is nothing they can do to fix the economy. Overspending is overspending. It does not matter what currency you overspend in.
There is a better chance of the sun rising from the west than of getting the economy right as long as we paper over the issue of corrupt, irresponsible behaviour in the top echelons of government and parastatals.
Having a currency you control means you can try to print money in order to fool yourself into believing that you have lots of cash. However we all know what happened when Zimbabwe printed zimdollars in billions, trillions and quadrillions? Value in our economy comes from the way we behave and support our economy than from the amount of ink we put on paper and call it money.
I find it ironic that the very same MPs sitting in the committee, are demanding that the government import luxury vehicles for them. They all seem to think that driving a locally assembled vehicle is beneath their dignity. As they sit around a table scratching their heads wondering what is causing Zimbabwe's economic doldrums, does it not occur to just one of them that it is their spending habits which are chiefly responsible.
I would like to say to Chinamasa, Comrade Minister the problem is not the currency that we use. The problem is the conduct of the people who run the economy. Let me not hit a dog with a hidden stick. I mean you and your colleagues are the problem. As long as you think it is beneath your personal dignity to buy Zimbabwe, wear Zimbabwe, drive Zimbabwe and educate Zimbabwe, it will remain beneath your capability to right Zimbabwe's economy.
Varume kana muchida kugadzirisa economy motosiya nyaya yenyu yekudya kusvika matumbu arembera seemombe muchidya mari yenyika.
Stop the foreign trips. Start buying locally. Buy all your vehicles from Willowvale and Quest. Encourage other manufacturers to set up plants here.
At one time Volkswagen floated the idea of setting up a plant in Zimbabwe. Why should they bother if you are going to ignore locally produced vehicles and go buy in South Africa. It would be better for them to keep all their manufacturing, jobs generated and downstream economic activity, in South Africa.
One of the few white people ever placed on sanctions for associating with Zanu-PF, Billy Rautenbach, had car assembly operations in the region. I am sure he could set up a plant in Zimbabwe if he had the confidence that the government would support him. Why should he bother when he watches the Zimbabwe government leaving the cars of other local assemblers, like Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries and Quest Motors rotting in dealerships while they buy Range Rovers, Fords and Jeeps manufactured in the very same countries that placed them under sanctions?
As we say in Shona kwadzinorohwa matumbu ndiko kwadzinomhanyira. The Zimbabwe government are busy sending profits to those who are sanctioning them.
Insist that every minister buys locally made clothes, shoes, socks and even underpants. Tell His Excellency the President, and the rest of you ministers that the University of Zimbabwe and NUST are among the best universities in the world.
A large proportion of the experts running mining, manufacturing and services in this region came from there. So there is not need to spend millions of our scarce money sending children to two-bit backroom universities elsewhere, where they come back without even enough skills to tie their own shoelaces. The only reason for sending them there being your mistaken belief that it is prestigious to be associated with something foreign. On the contrary, it is as intelligent as cutting off one's own feet.
I am very much aware that a number of people who gave you political trouble came from local universities. The likes of Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, Munyaradzi Gwisai and the infamous Madhuku came from there. However my elders you do not burn down your homestead because your children are troublesome.
Use Zimbabwean money in Zimbabwe to support Zimbabwe's economy. Do not rush to hand it over to those in Dubai, Japan, South Africa, Hong Kong and China. They are the ones who will get rich while this country remains poor.
It is as simple as that!
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