Listen to what the people are saying
From the border town of Beit Bridge, Kubatana subscribers tell us that they want the new all inclusive government to
form a truth and reconciliation committee especially to investigate the terror campaigns before run off election
lift the cash withdrawal limit
Erasmus from Harare has some other demands
provision of food
kick start industry for production
restore rule of law
provision of health care
revamp our education system
improve the workers conditions
a new constitution within 18 months
Meanwhile Munyaradzi emailed us with this opinion
The fact that MDC and ZANU (PF) are failing to come up with a cabinet spells doom to this deal. Those who have everything to lose, that is ZANU( PF), are the ones who are probably throwing in the spanners. People are fed up with politicians who still think things are normal when ordinary people are starving. It is a shame that in this day and age someone in his right mind would continue to drive around in a 10 car or more motorcade. Teachers are being awarded only $10,000 per month. The way forward for this country is for the leaders to listen to what the people are saying. A deal without the ordinary person in mind is a dud. No matter how they are going share power (whose power?) they will not succeed to bring sanity to the political landscape. For one Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings has to be reorientated because they continue to paint the MDC in bad light. Why do they continue to refer to Mugabe as “comrade” while Tsvangirai is called “Mr”? What are they trying to show? ZIMPAPERS is equally to blame. In general the majority of our leaders should mind their language if they want to promote national healing. They owe the whole nation an apology for failed policies and for polarising the country. They could have stopped this rot long back.
Friday, September 19th 2008 at 3:44 pm
Seek foreign investment in manfucturing, food production, transportation, factories, agriculture and mining to boost employment.
Encourage those Zimbabweans abroad to come home and reinvest their skills in their country.
Foreign policy – Zimbabwe really needs to mend its relationship with the world – in an increasingly interdependent economic world Zimbabwe cannot afford to isolate itself if it wishes to see economic growth – not even a country as powerful as the USA could isolate itself from Foreign affairs.
Work with aid organisations immediately to combat starvation, hunger and medical provisions
Invest aid in the health care system.
Once improvements have been made stabalise inflation by reintroducing a new Zim dollar alligned with the rand.
Always remember democracy can only be truely achieved with economic development. Economic development needs to be the focus of the next few years.
Improve communications and technology. The system is about to spontaneously combust and without sufficent communications investment is a non entity.
Once inflation has been stablised and new currency introduced then work on tourism – a key economic investment and foreign currency driver.
Never rely on one sector i.e. tobacco. We have all learnt from the past decade that relying on one industry for economic growth and stability makes us extremely vulnerable to repeat the errors of the last 10 years.
Society – our society has been torn apart over the last 10 years. We are mistrusting of all races White, chinese, black, indian you name it. We need to work towards reconciliation and integration.
Invest hard earned taxes into public services: For decades our leaders have forgotten that they are in their position because of us the people of zimbabwe and our taxes should be used for health, education, transport, local council – like fixing our pot holes and roads and housing and not lining the pockets of certain individuals.
Saturday, September 20th 2008 at 8:27 am
Following the “signing ceremony, why are zanupf dictating this so-called deal? Why is patrick chinamasa making policy statements to the press without the presense of any MDC members in this so-called unity agreement? Why do I have the distinct impression the MDC are in the passenger seat and zanupf are in control of the steering wheel? How can a zanupf politburo meeting take precendence over an issue such as the appointment of cabinet… and the MDC be so silent about it? Before the so-called signing ceremony, it was understood by mugabe and chinamasa’s statements that they were then going to appoint a cabinet anyway because it was supposedly so urgent! And now? And nobody is saying anything with reference.
Though understandably (or ignorantly) the MDC negotiated in good faith in order to allow the country to move forward, by virtue of the 29 March 2008 election results the MDC should be the ones drawing the line… failing which it should have been publicly stated that the agreement to THE DEAL would be withdrawn.
And as for that word “PATRIOTISM”… The least patriotic people in this country are robert mugabe and the rest of his zanupf “wives”. They could not care a single iota for any other Zimbabwean other than themselves. Their self-interest is upper-most. Sickenly so. How dare mugabe (and the wives) use the word “PATRIOTIC”!
Before the so-called signing ceremony, gideon gono couldn’t have more publicly admitted to zanupf’s failures… And this public admittion has not been exploited by the MDC. WAKE UP! Are the MDC waiting for mugabe to change into a nice and beautiful dream-come-true? Did they really expect that to happen? If not, why are the MDC so passive then?
There is an immediate need for debate. There is an immediate need for a public forum for people to talk and raise their issues… And for the poleticians to LISTEN. There is an immediate need for mugabe to face an audience and answer their questions off the cuff. Even let the street kids have this satisfaction!
As the MDC have clearly acted in good faith and if the MDC subsequently are unable to state the rules, what is acceptable and what is not, then this so-called agreement should be killed dead in it’s tracks… and the MDC certainly have my vote to do just that. And it should be clearly stated that in the next round of negotiations the issue of “amnesty” can no longer be discussed. That opportunity was lost when zanupf dicided to act in bad faith following the then previous so-called agreement.
MDC… you had better climb the stallion and stay on it if you want to be the respected LEADER at this time. The people in Zimbabwe are nauseated by the mugabe-type leadership. The stallion is standing in front of you NOW. This opportunity might be forever lost…