adminInconvenient Youth with Umntanakhe Taura (IYUT)
Inconvenient Youth with Umntanakhe Taura (IYUT) correspondents in Ntepe Village in Gwanda reports that the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Honourable Patrick Zhuwao, has declared himself the new sheriff in town. (IYUT will not correct the Minister and tell him that he was in a village — lol.)
Minister Zhuwao made the declaration as he addressed students and parents at the handover ceremony of a science laboratory that was financed by the Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon Lazarus Dokora received the laboratory block on behalf of the Government.
Hon Saviour Kasukuwere, as the Minister responsible for public works, was the guest of honour and officially opened the science laboratory.
The ceremony was also attended by Hon Zhuwao’s deputy, Hon Mathias Tongofa, and the Minister of Rural Development and Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage, Hon Abednico Ncube.
The work of the Gwanda CSOT represents practical rural development.
The Trust has funded the construction of the very first Advanced Level science laboratories at Ntepe, Selonga, Sibona, Gungwe and Mzimuni high schools.
Children no longer have to look beyond their home district of Gwanda to access this critical education in sciences.
The Gwanda CSOT continues in its human capital development efforts by also focusing on healthcare.
The Trust has built the brand new Silikwe Clinic in Ward 2 while two other existing clinics in Sitezi and Mapate were rehabilitated and upgraded.
It purchased a motorised borehole drilling rig which has so far drilled over 10 boreholes.
In addition to this, the Gwanda CSOT has rehabilitated the Guyu Chelesa and Sukwi irrigation schemes in Wards 14 and 18, which both cover arable land of 106 hectares.
Surely, food security will be improved in this drought prone area.
Another one of our numerous IYUT correspondents overheard the Principal Director in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Ms Erica Jones, saying that the best thing about that particular event was that there was no flag from a donor country fluttering in the wind.
IYUT always gets annoyed by the small plaques placed conspicuously by donors as permanent reminders of our inability to develop ourselves.
It is so demeaning to be made to feel that we are so incapable of looking after ourselves as a people.
Minister Dokora took the opportunity to talk about the new primary and secondary education curriculum blueprint that had been adopted by Cabinet two days before.
He reminded the students, teachers and parents at Ntepe Primary School that His Excellency, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, had directed that more effort be placed on science and mathematics.
The fact that Minister Kasukuwere is also Zanu-PF’s National Political Commissar did not escape the attention of IYUT.
It appears Zanu-PF has woken up from its slumber and remembered that it went to elections on the basis of a manifesto that called for indigenisation, empowerment, development and employment creation.
It was that manifesto that people voted for.
It is from that manifesto that Zanu-PF derives its mandate.
Minister Kasukuwere did not shy away from endorsing Zhuwao’s self-declaration as the new sheriff in town.
He went on to urge Zhuwao to ensure that the indigenisation legislation is complied with and threatened to “boot Zhuwao out if he fails to deliver”.
IYUT wonders how a Cabinet minister can boot another Cabinet minister out. We wait to see since gore rino igore rezvidzidzo, tichadzidza zvakawanda.
IYUT will be observing how Zhuwao will be able to enforce the indigenisation policy and legislation.
Does he have the guts to tackle international capital and its ability to compromise weak and jelly-kneed politicians?
IYUT notes with concern recent pronouncements by some senior officials about watering down indigenisation. Have these guys not received brown envelopes already?
Will Zhuwao be able to face some of his colleagues in pursuit of the mandate that Zimbabweans entrusted onto Zanu-PF?
Is Zhuwao a dhodha sibili?
IYUT recognises that the “Supreme law of Zimbabwe”, our national Constitution, enshrines broad-based empowerment through CSOTs.
The Constitution provides for “equitable sharing of national resources”.
Furthermore, the Constitution calls for “rapid and equitable development” and directs that “The State must ensure that local communities benefit from the resources in their areas”.
It calls further for the State to “empower, through appropriate, transparent, fair and just affirmative action” marginalised communities in Zimbabwe.
IYUT foresees the emergence of an indigenisation and economic empowerment equivalent of a Jealous Mawarire to help rescue the situation should Zhuwao fail as the new sheriff in town.
IYUT is aware that there is a strong and robust national legal framework upon which indigenisation and community share ownership trusts are established and legitimised.
Indigenisation and CSOTs will remain a reality of law that must be fulfilled to meet the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe.
It is Zimbabweans who are ultimately the authors and custodians of these laws through their representative legislature and Government.
Zhuwao, as the new sheriff in town, must enforce the law.
IYUT takes the issue of CSOT seriously because it provides immediate and direct benefits to young people.
The Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment has a policy that requires that at least 10 percent of CSOT funds be reserved for enterprise development for youths, women and disabled persons.
The objective is to create enterprises that generate local and national capital into the economy, starting from the grassroots.
IYUT calls upon the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board to work on establishing an enterprise development model.
Such a model should involve training and capacitating CSOTs to pursue enterprise development projects in a planned and systematic manner that ensures viability.
There is need to institutionalise result-based management and strengthen corporate governance frameworks for CSOTs.
IYUT hopes and prays that other key Government technical institutions such as those in agriculture and mining will step in and work closely with the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment to ensure CSOTs pursue viable and life- changing enterprise development projects in the farming, agro-processing and mining sectors.
IYUT believes that Zimbabweans can grow this economy if they put their heads and efforts together and desist from being misled by foreign interests.
CSOTs are a source of local direct investment to the benefit of the communities involved and the nation at large.
Zhuwao, as the new sheriff in town, must ensure all communities benefit from their resources.
IYUT has noted that the Royal Bafokeng Nation in South Africa, which is a form of community trust, is now a multi-million-rand investment vehicle for that community.
That scheme has gone beyond its territorial boundaries to having shares in telecommunications and in mining entities, including Zimbabwe’s own Zimplats.
To all voodoo economists who believe that foreign inflows are the alpha and omega of development, IYUT says: “There is no donor flag fluttering to signify impotence”.
Over and out.
Online Reporter