Editorial Comment: Tsvangirai mustn’t flip-flop on issues of national interest

number one citizen of this country.
Just last week, he was speaking ill of the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme during his visit to the United Kingdom. Before the UK visit he had also rubbished indigenisation and empowerment at an investment conference in South Africa.
We need to know where the PM stands on indigenisation and empowerment, which is a crucial Government programme aimed at ensuring the participation of indigenous Zimbabweans in the mainstream economy.
There are basically three issues in Zimbabwe today which any serious politician worth his standing should clearly spell out if voters are to trust him or her with the mandate to rule this country — the land reform issue, indigenisation and empowerment and sanctions.
These three are central to the politics of Zimbabwe and form the core of the country’s national interests. Speaking to Al Jazeera in London where he was attending an African business conference, Prime Minister Tsvangirai said the empowerment law was an election ploy by President Mugabe and his Zanu- PF party. These are the exact words he told the Doha based news channel: “It is practically impossible to implement the law, we have told everyone that this is election talk, it is known that you can’t implement it and we have told Mugabe that,” said Mr Tsvangirai.
In October last year Mr Tsvangirai said his party was totally opposed to the indigenisation and economic empowerment drive that seeks to transfer wealth to previously disadvantaged Zimbabweans.
Addressing a rally at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera, Mr Tsvangirai said in place of the indigenisation policy, the MDC-T intended to attract foreign investment to create jobs for Zimbabweans. “We are totally opposed to this programme being undertaken by (Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Saviour) Kasukuwere and Zanu-PF,” said Mr Tsvangirai. “There are some people who are moving around saying: ‘indigenisation, indigenisation’. How can you implement a party programme hiding behind the Government? Ours is a job plan. Our plan is of jobs and starts by encouraging investment,” he told his supporters at the rally.
He maintained this stance in the United Kingdom last week only to change this week while answering questions in Parliament.
On Thursday during the Question Time in Senate PM Tsvangirai said the indigenisation and empowerment programme was a noble initiative meant to bring blacks into the mainstream economy following decades of marginalisation.
“The indigenisation policy was put in place for Zimbabweans to be able to participate in businesses because for many years businesses were owned by whites and blacks were just workers. The indigenisation policy is meant for people to be free because if you do not own means of production you remain workers,” he told the Senate.
The PM also dithers when he talks about the illegal sanctions the United States, Britain, the European Union and their Western allies imposed on Zimbabwe.
At some forums he argues that they are not sanctions but targeted restrictive measures, which will only be removed when media, electoral and security sector reforms have been implemented.
But again in Parliament this week PM Tsvangirai called for the wholesome removal of the sanctions.
“Yes, I met Cameron last week specifically on issues to do with this (sanctions) because I can’t call for the removal of sanctions on certain individuals and entities leaving others. If we are talking of removing any restrictions all of them should be removed and we will not select,” he said while answering questions in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister has also been found wanting on homosexuality. At some public gatherings he emphatically abhors the practice before somersaulting when facing a pro-gay gathering.
People need to know where you stand Mr Prime Minister. If you believe in something or take a position maintain your belief or uphold your position.
That is what principled politicians do. They don’t pronounce what a particular audience wishes to hear. All that is needed is to consistently defend what you stand for and condemn that which you detest and people will respect you for that.
The Prime Minister needs to understand what is really in the national interest and defend it gallantly, especially on foreign soil. The position he has taken in Parliament is the one he should be taking on the international arena.
If he has reservations about certain aspects of the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme, he should express them at home and Parliament is a good platform to do that.
He has to remember that there is an Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act passed by the same Parliament he attends as leader of Government. The reason why MPs keep on asking him question on these issues is because of the inconsistencies in the messages that come out of his mouth.