adminDr Bongani Ngwenya
Preamble
AS I am writing this article I am imaginatively recounting the event of 18 November 2017. This day has gone into the annals of the country’s history and will certainly go into the Guinness Book of World Records. The day in question marked the birth of a new political economy dispensation in Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe spoke in one loud voice, not only in Harare the capital city but in all the cities and towns in the country, in neighbouring countries and in the diaspora at large. Watching the news on the television down South here, I could only say, “Wow, such things can only happen in my beautiful world view”.
The results of this massive show of people’s power which the world had never thought about, not even in one day were the ushering in of a new political dispensation and Government. I want readers to understand that there is a difference between the “new political dispensation” and the “new political economy dispensation”. This article is about the new political economy dispensation that I have been talking about for the past two weeks. I believe the article on “Paying the price of crisis of disconnection” explained clearly what “political economy” is all about.
I remember I used to say to my MBA students at Solusi University, that in Africa in general politics and political policies influence the economic systems in Africa, while the opposite is fairly true in the developed world, where the economic systems influence the political systems. As far as the economic system of America for example is concerned, the Republicans and the Democrats’ political philosophies do not have much of a bearing on the economic system of that country. They all have to fit into the free market economic system or crudely put, the capitalistic economic system.
I want to believe that the views I am expressing here are not mine alone but are views of many of my kinsmen in my beautiful world view. The outcome of the 18 November 2017 mass action by the Zimbabweans resembles an epitome of a tale of missed opportunity to bury the old political economy of the country once and for all. Why am I saying this? Yes, in the new political dispensation Zimbabwe is now open for business and so much has changed and there is overwhelming evidence in support of that fact.
There is indeed evidence of economic prowess in the country now that is being driven by the envisaged stable political environment following the change in political administration, improved business confidence and anticipated turnaround from key sectors of the country’s economy, but mainly the political will that is being exhibited by the new leadership of Zimbabwe is worth the emphasis. The argument is that the old political economy and its ills are haunting the new political dispensation unfortunately.
A tale of missed opportunity and lesson that could have possibly been taught to the world: I want to believe that when Zimbabweans flooded the streets on that fateful day the biggest question in the minds of many was what next? The mass demonstrations by the way were in solidarity with the military’s Operation Restore Legacy which was conducted in peace without any bloodshed. The whole world could not help but stand in awe of the events as they unfolded in the country. This experience remains a lesson to the whole world. However, if the aftermath of the Operation Restore Legacy had culminated in the formation of a transitional government or authority, as I have already intimated with a well-balanced constituent of all the relevant political stakeholders in the country that would have been the greatest lesson that Zimbabwe would have taught the whole world. This is my opinion.
The ball of contention here is that maybe elections were the last thing that the country needed right now, for now, all the focus should have been on rebuilding the economy and advancing the economic recovery and prosperity for all.
The opinion, rather, is based on the historical experience and a precedent of the Government of National Unity, the transitional authority or Government would have given the new Zimbabwe a new ease of life and an opportunity to bury the old political economy once and for all. It is no secret that the country experienced the highest GDP growth rate since independence during the period of the GNU.
The GNU had an effect of diluting the negative impact of the old political economy. Thereafter, even the Look East Policy could not save the country from the jaws of the old political economy as it continued to entrench itself at the expense of any meaningful economic development in the country.
The transition authority would have eased the country and its political leadership from the pressure of conducting the coming national elections for the sole purpose of legitimising the new political dispensation, which is not wrong per se. The country could have sought for legal means instead of suspending the impending national election and creating a transitional authority with a minimum of five years maybe, to just focus on economic recovery and this would have given the country an opportunity on the other hand to transcend into a new political economy that is devoid of the past.
All these potential investors that have pledged their investments into the country are holding their purses in anticipation of a desirable election outcome that is, nothing short of a free and fair plebiscite. The world is watching with a keen interest developments in Zimbabwe as the country prepares for elections scheduled for July this year. And by the way, the President has pledged free and fair elections.
-Dr Bongani Ngwenya is based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow and can be contacted on email [email protected]
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