adminThe campaigns are centred on winning the hearts of voters and so far the jostling for the support of the electorate is on selling ideas and policies. That is what it should be like.
Zanu-PF and MDC-T are crafting economic blueprints that put emphasis on job creation with the only difference being on how the jobs will be created.
The indigenisation and economic empowerment programme will buttress Zanu-PF’s blueprint while their opponents the MDC-T are banking on support from foreign investors.
Zanu-PF Vice-President and Second Secretary Cde Joice Mujuru told a party meeting in Harare on Thursday that the revolutionary party did not believe in European investors rescuing the economy or aiding growth because countries of that region are facing problems of their own, too insurmountable they will not be of any assistance to the party and Zimbabwe.
“We support the creation of an economic environment in which we develop and create our own jobs in a sustainable manner,” said Cde Mujuru.
“Transferring our natural resources and value of existing companies into the hands of indigenous Zimbabweans and providing the necessary strategic support in terms of financing and skills development will facilitate an exponential growth of our economy.
“As Zanu-PF, we will not allow the development of a culture of economic dependency on other nations and we do not believe that countries that have failed to create jobs for their own citizens should be at the forefront of our economic growth processes.
“Thus, sustainable job creation, particularly for the country’s youths, should be one of the key tenets of the blueprint,” she said.
She argued that the work of the economic ministries under Zanu-PF Ministers were testimony to the party’s determination to use indigenisation of the economy and empowerment to create jobs.
The Ministries of Mines and Mining Development, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment and Small and Medium Enterprises will be at the forefront of implementing Zanu-PF’s economic blueprint. In fact the ministries have already started doing, through supporting small scale miners, unveiling community share ownership schemes and promoting the growth of small and medium enterprises.
The MDC-T’s economic blueprint will be titled: “Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and Environment”.
Party spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora says the party’s standing committee on Wednesday resolved to launch the blueprint dubbed “Juice” in Harare.
The party believes the creation of jobs should be backed by direct foreign investment.
“It is our economic and social vision for Zimbabwe. Juice is not achievable at the moment, but in the event that we take over the leadership of the country,” Mr Mwonzora said.
The blueprint is a counter to Zanu-PF’s Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment programme under which foreign-owned companies operating in Zimbabwe are obliged at law to cede at least 51 percent shareholding to indigenous people.
MDC-T is on record condemning the economic empowerment policy.
These developments clearly show the two parties are drawing the lines for the contest and we hope they just take their ideas to their supporters and even preach them to their opponents instead of resorting to violence.
Elections should be fought on ideas and policies and not physical confrontations. President Mugabe is on record calling for peaceful campaigns and with the ideas being propagated by the two parties, we do not see why anybody should be beaten up or coerced to support any political party. The task is simply to persuade the electorate to buy in to your manifesto and in the process woo votes.
Online Reporter