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Inconvenient Youth with Umthanakhe Taura (iyut)
There was a reinvigorated purpose, a new hope to IYUT, as IYUT walked out of the Harare International Conference Centre, having attended the Inaugural National Economic Empowerment Conference.
As I walk today and into the coming days, months and certainly future IYUT is in new stride, head held high with confidence and certainly.
The Sheriff, Minister Patrick Zhuwao, has been in town, this time in Harare and not in the village where he declared his new authority as the appointed enforcer of economic empowerment.
The theme arising from the inaugural empowerment conference was clear, for “Accelerating Economic Empowerment: Localising the 10-Point Plan”.
IYUT feels vindicated by what was said and resolved by the conference.
There is, after all, method to IYUT’s inconvenience. It turns out pane pasimbi patakatsika mukupengera empowerment kwedu.
The Guest of Honour, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, went straight into defining the foundation upon which we must have economic empowerment.
VP Mpoko told the 4 000-plus delegates (some were turned away due to high turnout) that the indigenisation and economic empowerment law aimed at democratising the economic system and creating favourable conditions for promotion of national development, employment, and ownership of the means of production to achieve a decent standard of living for our people.
VP Mpoko outlined the legislative framework defining and directing economic empowerment, including its various statutory instruments dating back to 2010.
Therein lies the foundation of IYUT’s very methodical inconvenience.
Our madness for empowerment is within the boundaries of law.
VP Mpoko reaffirmed progress made so far, firstly with land reform which has guaranteed majority indigenous ownership of land. It is upon land reform that the economic empowerment agenda has now adopted other strategies to take us forward.
These strategies include guaranteeing 50 percent of all procurement by Government to indigenous businesses, promoting youth skills development through Vocational Training Centres, reserving certain economic sectors for indigenous Zimbabweans, and establishing community and employee share ownership trusts.
IYUT noted the VP’s reference to the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund, and its lack of capitalisation.
NIEEF is an empowerment fund which depends upon securing its legislated levy, with which funds the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board can effectively have the indigenous population empowered.
Calls for the levy echoed across the HICC.
Now can you now understand IYUT’s renewed hope? More so when VP Mpoko reminded those present that our economic empowerment agenda was well-enshrined in Zimbabwe’s supreme law.
Our Constitution calls upon the State and all its institutions and agencies to “take measures to empower, through appropriate, transparent, fair and just affirmative actions”.
Speaking of affirmative action, Bra Phidza, Mukoma Chiyangwa, was there. And he clearly set out that our affirmative action is not the restricted kind as in nations that do not understand the need for equitable distribution of a nation’s resources and define affirmative action to mean the rights of a minority, however much that minority may in fact have been the historic depraver and coloniser.
Our affirmative action speaks to the majority whose intent and will voted for a black President, in Cde Mugabe.
Surely we must take the precedent of Dr Shingi Munyeza, who told delegates of his chain of restaurants now employing at hundreds of Zimbabweans, many drawn from abroad with all their gained experience there, coming back home to give Zimbabwe’s hospitality industry the cutting edge.
This is an indigenous Zimbabwean creating employment through local investment.
IYUT whistled, in unison with other delegates, as Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, aka Tyson, took the gloves off.
He underlined that he spoke as Zanu-PF’s Political Commissar, to set the ideological record straight.
His message was clear: we are our own liberators, starting with political liberation thanks to President Mugabe.
Tyson called on IYUT’s generation to become our own economic liberators.
It is fitting that Tyson spoke as Commissar, bemoaning those appointed by Zanu-PF party, but whom once in Government forget the party’s people-centred ideology, and speak for the economic interests of foreigners.
“Who will speak for our people?” demanded Mukoma Tyson.
Our Commissar stated in very clear language, that we are in a decisive phase of transferring our economy from foreigners to our people, and “hazvidi nhetemwa nevanotya”.
He reminded us that we have to endure birth pangs, but only so that we shall have the joy of holding our new born baby that is an indigenous and prospering economy.
He underscored the point that President Mugabe would never have signed the indigenisation and empowerment law if he didn’t believe in it, and he will most certainly not have such law reversed.
Our Minister for Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Zhuwao fired very clear and precise warning shots.
It was music to IYUT’s hears when he said, “My job is not to debate whether indigenisation is good or bad, but to implement its laws.”
Zhuwao also reasserted his mandate to have the levy brought into effect.
Our Sheriff warned: “I know where you stand, out there, I will flush you out because you are a threat to our people.
The component of the economic empowerment of the people of Zimbabwe is non-negotiable.”
There was reaffirmation and confidence by the time the grassroots from across the provinces shared their experiences of frustrated empowerment and still-burning passions and hope for its renewal.
The grassroots were clear that they desired to be “an empowered society”.
From Matabeleland North, they called for a shifted mindset, a common objective for empowerment. From Mat South an eloquent brother spoke to the need for banks to come to the party without their alienating demand for collateral against an already dis-empowered youth.
The idle investment opportunity in our Diaspora was noted, raising questions over FDI drives that neglected such potential investment.
Remittances from the African Diaspora amounting to US$50 billion, formally, with the informal amount possibly going up to US$150 billion. This is all against far less foreign aid of US$30 billion.
As youth, we resolve that the people shall have no discord over economic empowerment, not from an appointed Government, and no confused priorities that make our aspirations secondary to foreign economic interests.
Those the law obliges to indigenise must do so.
Online Reporter