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Tichaona Zindoga Political Editor
The 15th zanu-pf National People’s Conference has come and gone — and there is arguably nothing bigger that is going to be witnessed for the rest of this year. Well, perhaps except Unity Day and Christmas. Yet it in the field of politics — the master science — the conference shut down the year. The ruling party is the master in the field and so much was expected at the annual indaba that was held in the resort town of Victoria Falls.
The run up to the conference was characterised by mounting speculation and agenda setting while various players, including the opposition, held their breaths in anticipation of the conduct and outcomes of the meeting.
The country was captivated — so was the world that has learned to train a critical eye on events that happen in this part of the world.
One may have been taken aback by a newspaper bill that surprisingly described the meeting as a “talkshop” — because zanu-pf does not conduct mere talkshops but sets and runs governing ideas.
From the conference there are at least four things to emerge from the meeting.
Not doing so badly
Despite things not the best for Zimbabwe — and nowhere is life heavenly — the country has not just had its most horrible year. There were massive job cuts and the tight liquidity crunch but these were nowhere near crippling.
After the rampant spate of job losses occasioned by a legal loophole, Government quickly moved to stem the job haemorrhage by amending the labour laws to protect workers. But it was Industry Minister Mike Bimha who made a most prescient point.
He said newspapers were quick to point out at job losses and company closures but never focused on new developments and companies reviving, opening shop and expanding. It is a point that somebody once made remarking on how private media usually painted a bleak picture of Zimbabwe on their front pages but ironically carried a number of stories about recovery and new ventures inside.
Just illustratively, Minister Bimha singled out some success stories including Nestle (Pvt) Ltd which invested in an Egron Plant upgrade project worth $8 million while African Distillers Limited commissioned a new cider plant that improved output by 59 percent.
Dairibord Zimbabwe Limited Holdings had also commissioned a new sterilised milk plant valued at $4 million with a capacity to produce 24 million litres of sterilised milk per annum while success was recorded at the First Family owned Alpha Omega Dairy Company, Star Africa Corporation, Olivine Industries, Trade Kings Zimbabwe, Quest Motors Corporation, Deven Engineering, Bata Shoe Company and Anchor Yeast.
A Korean based telecommunication manufacturing giant had signed a $10 million transaction with a local company, Cranbal Investments, to set up a television and refrigerator assembly plant in 2016.
The story was the same at refrigeration company, Capri, which launched a new refrigerator plant worth $12 million in June 2015 and is expected to increase from 5 000 units to 18 000 units per month.
Things are looking good for United Refineries and the resuscitated Cold Storage Company. The aforementioned deals go on and on and the distressed industries in Bulawayo were making serious recovery.
He explained: “The ministry has so far approved a number of investment projects worth about $152 million which include Blue Ribbon Industries which had a total injection of about $40 million by a Tanzania company to be spread out over five-year period,’’ said Cde Bimha.
It will be critical to note that the results of these developments have seen increased availability of goods and drop in the prices of locally produced basics such as food and foodstuffs as well as blankets.
And it will also be critical to note that on the back of the so-called liquidity crunch, prices of goods have fallen, a move that has been interpreted as price correction.
On the rise
And if one were to factor in the mega deals that the country signed with China and Russia, the former buoyed by the recent visit by President Xi Jinping, the country can only move in leaps in 2016 and beyond.
Zimbabwe and China signed landmark deals worth $4 billion and these, as we reported at the time of the signing recently, will convert provisions of the Government’s economic blueprint, Zim-Asset, into programmes of action.
Up to 12 deals — 10 between the two states and the remainder private — included financing for the expansion of Hwange Power Station, construction of a new Parliament building and a pharmaceutical warehouse, expansion of a national fibre optic broadband project and provision of wildlife monitoring equipment.
These deals only mean a lot of money and opportunity for Zimbabwe.
It is at indabas such as the one we witnessed in Victoria Falls where such ideas are mooted and reinforced.
And that is not exactly being talk shop, is it?
Hopes, dreams and deliverables
The reason why zanu-pf has continued to dominate the political scene in the country, for at least 35 years is because it is able to sell hopes and dreams about a better future — and deliver the same.
As the year ends many people will see a better future laid upon this year, and there is every reason to do so.
zanu-pf may not control weather phenomena like droughts but it is within its power to provide the enabling environment for people to prosper through access to resources and means of production.
And another good thing is that President Mugabe promised to deal with the cancerous practices such as corruption. This can be done, and there is reason enough that President Mugabe’s 90 tonne fist will descend on corrupt elements — and his legacy demands it does.
Many people see it as his last great battle.
President Mugabe revealed that he refused to deal with some Chinese companies he said were corrupt. Now, it is the expectation that he will crack the whip at officials at home.
With corruption out of the way, Zimbabwe will rise again with Zimbabweans enjoying the benefits of the country’s economy and opportunities rather than just a few fat cats.
Mugabe, the grandmaster
We note that Politics is the master science.
In Zimbabwe President Mugabe is the grand master of this discipline and the just ended meeting demonstrated that as he was able to guide deliberations and, quite remarkably, steer the party off the precipitous cliff of factionalism.
There was not to be any blood on the floor as anticipated. President Mugabe censured all who needed to be censured and redirected.
An observation was made to the effect that no faction, real or imagined, went home beating their chests.
President Mugabe was the sole centre of power — and remains so.
There have been concerns that President Mugabe may be losing grip within the party. What the world saw in Victoria Falls was a man who is in touch, keen and alert to every detail of the party — including who would not have introduced his wife!
It will be remembered also that President Mugabe has previously expressed concern over the private behaviour of some of his lieutenants who have sexual immorality. This shows a man in touch, including being alive to what happens on the streets and rural areas, and who more critically is in charge of the institution of the ruling party.
The year 2015 may now have curtains drawn.
The year 2016 is beckoning with hope.
It cannot be worse.
Online Reporter