‘MDC-T cannot be credited for economy recovery’

the economy, which halted astronomical inflation in 2008.
Hawkins pointed out that MDC-T had nothing directly to do with the fall in inflation as dollarisation brought an overnight change to the economy.

“There is nothing that the MDC did in that regard to turn around the economy,” he said.
“It was a result of dollarisation. That is where the change came from not as a result of their implementing any praiseworthy policy.”
The then acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Zanu-PF are credited for introducing dollarisation on January 29, 2009.

The MDC-T joined the Government well after that when the inclusive Government was sworn-in in February.
Social analyst Dr Joseph Kurebwa said it was clear that Zanu-PF and not MDC-T introduced dollarisation as a policy.
“Acting Finance Minister Chinamasa introduced the US$100 vouchers which could be exchanged for food for civil servants,” he said.
Dr Kurebwa said the MDC-T, which campaigned for sanctions that failed to bring down Zanu-PF, could therefore not be credited for economy recovery.

“MDC-T can not be credited for asking for sanctions and then claim they were responsible for our happiness,” he said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said it did not make sense for the MDC-T to be credited for having brought the economic turnaround.
“The turnaround of the economy came after the introduction of the multi-currency by the then acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa,” he said.

“It is the introduction of the multi-currency that turned around the economy of the country.
“The MDC have no input in that and it does not make sense for the party to claim to have brought the economic turnaround when the current Finance Minister Tendai Biti is not funding productive sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.”
Cde Gumbo said instead of working towards the economic turnaround of the country, MDC-T was literally focusing on social services such as health at the expense of productive sectors.

Criticism has been mounting from the MDC’s traditional allies over the lack of clear cut policies which has left the party playing second fiddle to Zanu-PF.
In recent weeks, the Commercial Farmers Union has also strongly criticised the MDC-T.

The reaction from the analysts was triggered by MDC-T’s recent claims that it brought economic stability.
The party’s spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said his party was the chief architect of turning around the economy and said the criticism that it was a mere bystander in the economic change of fortunes was unwarranted.

“The schools are open, the supermarkets now have food, which was an unheard of thing in 2008.
“Surely the people can see for themselves what changes the MDC has brought in,” he said.

But media analyst Zenzele Ndebele pointed out that MDC-T’s biggest blunder was agreeing to take up “service” ministries instead of negotiating for the power ministries, which has ensured Zanu-PF domination in the three-year-old Unity Government. — Herald Reporter-Sunday Times.