MDC-T plans to pursue anti-poor policies

begin in Harare today paints a gory picture of the MDC-T’s plans for Zimbabwe should the party attain power at the harmonised elections.

 

The dossier titled, “Movement  for Democratic Change Policy Discussion Papers: The MDC’s Plan to Build A New Zimbabwe That Is Open, Transparent, Just And Provides Good Quality Life To All Its Citizens,’’ exposes the party’s plans to introduce a cocktail of changes among them massive downsizing of the army, withdrawal of Government support to indigenous farmers and abolishment of key state enterprises.

The draft shows the party plans to pursue anti-poor policies, a development that dovetails with its opposition to all pro-poor policies like the land reform programme, and indigenisation and economic empowerment spearheaded by Zanu-PF. MDC-T says it will abolish the open contract system for senior civil servants which it says will be replaced by non-renewable job contracts.

Reads the draft: “The MDC is committed to retaining and re-orienting the civil service so that it becomes more efficient and lean and serves the people with integrity and to the best of their ability. All senior civil servants will be appointed on term limited contracts that can only be reviewed once, after that they will be required to retire.”

The MDC-T plans massive retrenchment of army personnel.
“It is the intention of the MDC to work with military commanders to reduce the size of the army to a level that is adequate for dealing with the expected demands to be made to them . . . At the same time the army will be enabled to rebuild its capacity in the acquisition and use of heavy weaponry appropriate to the threat and need levels that are agreed,” reads the draft document.

The MDC-T says it will retire serving soldiers with the rank of sergeant and below on reaching 45 years.
It intends to bring changes in the Zimbabwe Republic Police by “restructuring senior ranks and examining the role played by various police auxiliary forces”.

These include the reserve officers and the support unit whose roles the party intends to redefine.
It is the agriculture sector that the MDC-T intends to paralyse with the party making it clear that it will not support indigenous farmers who benefited from the land reform programme which addressed historical land imbalances that were in favour of the white settlers. The draft policy document says the MDC-T will not fund agriculture and neither will it subsidise the sector if it wins the polls.

“Public investment in irrigation for poor and food insecure farmers may be provided when economically and socially justified. To this end an MDC government will — focus on minimising direct Government intervention in irrigation schemes by encouraging private sector involvement, and by promoting the principle that water users themselves should pay for the operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes,” reads the draft document.

The document says the MDC-T will scrap agriculture subsidies.
“In general, long term or continuing subsidies will be avoided because of their tendency to cause distortions in the economy and to contribute to fiscal deficits. The impact of subsidies on production, food security, employment, income distribution and fiscal sustainability needs to be carefully reviewed and continuously monitored. The MDC government will ensure that subsidies that distort prices of farm inputs and outputs and discourage private sector investment and participation will be phased out,” further reads the draft policy document.

The party said  an MDC-T Government would privatise Agribank and tighten interest rates on farmers.
“An efficient and sound agricultural financing system will be established to use interest rates on loans and deposits linked with those prevailing in the commercial sector”

It will not assist struggling farmers with inputs and implements.
“The costly provision of Government ploughing and input distribution services, and input subsidies, that benefit only a small proportion of the disadvantaged smallholders in the communal areas will be phased out. The objective of the Government’s agricultural input policy is to support the private sector to ensure that adequate inputs are made available to all farmers at the right time and place, at competitive prices and that, to the extent possible they are used correctly and at the optimal time,” reads the policy document.

It plans to invite foreigners back on the land.
“The MDC Government will strengthen the interdependency and complimentary role between agricultural production and agribusiness and agro-industrial sectors through relevant and important linkages.

“Investment in agro industrial development will be prioritised. The following principles shall apply: issues pertaining to local and foreign investments in agriculture will be part and parcel of the investment code of Zimbabwe.

“Agriculture related investors will be assisted in order to boost the agricultural sector,” further reads the document.
The MDC-T says it will introduce a natural resource user fee system in the rural areas to discourage what it terms the “over utilisation of natural resources”. It will permit the use and development of GMO modified seeds and varieties in the industry to maximise crop production.

The draft policy proposes the closure of the Agricultural Marketing Authority arguing that market forces have stabilised prices rendering it useless. It will dispose of the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority.

“The MDC believes that the State has no business in being in business especially farming and will seek to dispose of all the ARDA estates to private sector interests at values that will recover at least some of the historical investment in this organisation. It also plans to dispose of the Cold Storage Commission to the private sector as a going concern and to review all Grain Marketing Board activities and to conduct a full audit of its accounts.’’

The draft policy document is silent on how the MDC-T will address the issue of illegal Western sanctions that has ruined the economy.