adminThe choice of venue was historic as it is the same place that hosted Cde Mugabe and Cde Joshua Nkomo’s “Welcome Home” rallies in preparation for the watershed 1980 election that ushered in majority rule.
Thus, this year’s election is equally decisive as Zimbabwe is at the crossroads with the end of the inclusive Government.
Thus, citizens have to make a firm choice between a return to the past, with a few steps backwards having already been taken by the involvement of remnants of Rhodesian elements like Eddie Cross and Roy Bennett in our politics, or opting to take an irreversible leap into the future with guaranteed political sovereignty and unfettered economic freedom.
True to its revolutionary history, ideology and orientation, Zanu-PF has adopted a theme so central to the wishes and aspirations of ordinary people that is “Indigenise, Empower, Develop and Create Employment”.
The sub-theme “Bhora Mugedhi, Ibhola Egedini” is the winning strategy the party has adopted going into the election where a decisive victory will set the grand stage for the creation of a new economy owned and controlled by indigenous Zimbabweans for their ultimate benefit.
To bring clarity and uniformity to the understanding of the theme within the party and beyond this submission unpacks what it is to “indigenise”, what are the key elements of “economic empowerment” and what entails “developing and creating employment” and above all why this strategy is the only way Zimbabwe can create its economic paradise.
It concludes by analysing why Zanu-PF is emphasising the “Bhora Mugedhi, Ibhola Egedhini” strategy as opposed to the destructive, retrogressive and unhelpful “Bhora Musango” approach adopted by some misguided and cowardly elements from within and without our Party in the March 2008 harmonised elections.
Indigenise: Indigenisation is anchored on the need to transfer the ownership and control of natural resources into the hands of indigenous citizens or indigenous people.
Black people who were prior to independence in 1980 precluded from benefiting from the economic activities of the country qualify to be classified as indigenous.
Thus, to ‘indigenise’ means to bring under the control of indigenous or local people.
Zimbabwe indigenised the political system with the attainment of political independence in April 1980 and all other arms of Government like the Judiciary and Parliament followed suit.
The land reform program was another important aspect of indigenisation as land ownership was transferred from the hands of a mere 4 000 white settlers to thousands of indigenous farmers whose output is evident with over 150 million kilograms of tobacco delivered to the auction floors this year alone.
As categorically stated by President Mugabe ‘the indigenisation and economic empowerment policy is a focused response to the previous exclusion of our people from mainstream economic activity by the settlers. The policy seeks to broaden the economic base by involving the majority of Zimbabweans in meaningful and gainful activity, thus giving greater meaning to our independence and self-determination’.
Hence, indigenisation is about the elimination of wealth generation and distribution along racial lines and creating equal economic opportunities for all.
Through indigenisation, Zimbabweans are being made responsible for and committed to determine their destiny.
The key requirement of the indigenisation legislation is that at least 51 percent of shareholding of value companies should be placed in the hands of indigenous Zimbabweans. These can be communities, employees, or other strategic groups whose activities will uplift their communities.
The benefits of indigenisation are beginning to flow following the setting up of a number of Community and Employee Share Ownership Schemes through which portions of the shareholding have been transferred to ordinary Zimbabweans.
Currently, Zimbabweans are witnessing a lot of infrastructural development in the rural areas largely financed by proceeds from CSOTs.
For example the Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust has facilitated the construction of Musasa and Banga Primary Schools and the repair of Chirume dam and Svika clinic.
In addition, Zvamabande Clinic encompassing a mother’s waiting shelter and a mortuary are being constructed while Zunde raMambo gardens under various Chiefs have been financed.
The Chegutu-Mhondoro-Ngezi-Chivero-Zvimba Trust has lined up the construction of schools at both primary and secondary levels, borehole drilling and rehabilitation, road construction and rehabilitation and the setting up of a Vocational Training Centre for Youths in Mashonaland West province.
Other schools are being constructed in Zvishavane and Gwanda while irrigation schemes are being developed in a number of communities in Matabeleland. Hence, the indigenisation programme is well on course and beginning to show tangible benefits for citizens.
Empower: The second key element of the Election theme is “empower”. Empowerment involves giving power to someone by uplifting or improving a situation from one point to another. In this instance, Zanu-PF is championing the economic upliftment of ordinary citizens through indigenisation. Economic empowerment presents a triad approach involving creating opportunities, training and skills development and provision of financial resources.
In fact, as Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Saviour Kasukuwere indicated it is this element that will change people’s lives and there is greater need to focus on this area.
Zanu-PF has facilitated the roll out of empowerment programmes for women, youth, in agriculture, mining, tourism and other key sectors through the Ministries it controls in Government and other party departments.
Empowerment across the entire economic value chain can be at the centre of economic growth through capacitating small to medium enterprises, and the creation of a bigger and financially stronger middle class whose consumption habits will fuel further growth. Small to medium enterprises are the engine room for economic growth hence, through empowerment they will continue to grow and absorb more working people into the economy.
This is particularly important because SMEs have the ability to create and retain jobs even in difficult times as evidenced by their limited retrenchment activities during the economic recession that hit the world in the past two or three years.
In fact, economic empowerment for indigenous citizens is the climax of various struggles waged and won by Zimbabweans under the fearless, valuable, astute and altruistic leadership of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF.
It is for the need to directly benefit from our gold in Mazowe, our platinum in Mhondoro-Ngezi, our coal in Hwange and our diamonds in Marange that the likes of Cdes Leopold Takawira, Nikita Mangena, Jason Moyo, Josiah Tongogara, Herbert Chitepo sacrificed and lost their lives in the struggle for Zimbabwe.
It is for the sake of having control of our waters in the Zambezi river, our fish in Kariba, our elephants in Gonarezhou and our mountains in Vumba that the likes of Cdes. Joshua Nkomo, Robert Mugabe, Simon Muzenda, Maurice Nyagumbo and Joseph Msika dedicated more than half of their lives to the struggle for Zimbabwe.
Develop and Create Employment: Thirdly, the party calls for the “development and creation of employment” as opposed to the empty job creation promises of other political parties. Jobs can only be sustainable if you can develop and finance them as a nation.
For example, through the mobilisation of youth funds and SME financing Zanu-PF has facilitated the development of thousands of jobs whose continued existence is not determined by events far away in Washington, London or Berlin.
On average a funded youth project creates at least three jobs while an SME creates five jobs. Thus, when money generated in Marange, Chiadzwa or Chisumbanje is used to finance the development of job opportunities it becomes more sustainable than to wait for jobs to be created through foreign direct investment from nations reeling in debt and battling to create jobs for their own citizens.
It is a pity that it is reported that a country like India has created close to a million jobs to polish diamonds from Zimbabwe yet we are not developing our own processing industries.
There is nothing juice about this and Zanu-PF is saying no to this kind of scenario thus we are championing the development of our own jobs.
Thus, as the revolutionary party Zanu-PF gears itself for another thunderous election victory Zimbabweans should brace themselves for a total expansion of the implementation of the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme in a way that will support the development and creation of employment, that is sustainable and deriving benefits for local people with young people being at the forefront of benefitting from such employment opportunities.
Bhora Mugedhi, Ibhola Ighedhini the winning strategy: This year Zanu-PF has made it unequivocally clear that its leadership, cadres, members, candidates and supporters alike should all work as a team pulling in one direction for a common purpose, that is, to resoundingly win the coming elections and silence detractors once and for all. When a team is on the pitch, for example in football, they are supposed to work together from the goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders to strikers in an effort to make sure the team’s goal is achieved.
Thus, scoring goals to win the game should be the sole and ultimate objective of the team.
Thus, anyone who joins the team and participates in the game is obliged to play the game accordingly.
If and when you intentionally turn to the other direction directing efforts there that is pure betrayal and cowardice that should not be tolerated under whatever circumstances.
People of such a negative disposition do not deserve to be on the same pitch with forward thinkers in team Zanu-PF for you cannot be both a revolutionary and a sell out.
Kurai Prosper Masenyama is the Director of the Zanu PF Department of Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
Online Reporter