ZEC has shown the way

The key is now to make a transition from knowledge accumulation to its application in our various fields of socio economic pursuits.
Buy Zimbabwe hopes that those who will vote in harmonised elections will use their intellectual abilities to make the right economic choices.

Clearly we cannot take pride in becoming a number one importer in our region. The expectations from these elections are very high indeed and our various political parties must take heed.

Graduates like Gracious in Mutare who spent the past four years burning the midnight oil are hoping that the election would usher in a Government that creates jobs.
He and others want to start earning decent incomes like many before them who now command heights of the economy as managers and CEOs of organisations around the globe.

We also have many aspiring young entrepreneurs and small and medium scale business persons, who have failed over the past few years to secure funding from the banks.
These are hoping that the next government will ensure that our financial sector become sensitive to their plight and stop demanding unrealistic collateral and charging exorbitant interest rates.

We also have countless other Zimbabweans who have knocked unsuccessfully at the doors of our local mines hoping to be given a chance to supply small quantities of goods and services only to be disappointed at seeing foreign nationals with less qualifications and interests in the country getting all the orders, from overalls to stationery.

This group hopes that after the elections, the next government will stop dilly dallying on the issue of local procurement and ensure that our local mines are mandated to come up with definite quotas that prioritise locals.

One would also imagine that companies such as Quest Motors, Willowvale Mazda Industries and AVM also want the next government to do the sensible thing and desist from the practice of allowing thousands of qualified technicians lose jobs and downstream industries to close because billions of United States dollars are being spent on many imported vehicles some of which are now rotting at car sales after failing to get buyers.

And those that have forgotten that Zimbabwe is still by and large a developing country where the majority of people still depend on the land for sustenance are in for a very rude awakening. Our local farmers who have seen commodity prices being undermined by South Africans who bring GMOs and flood markets such as Mbare and Lobengula in Bulawayo are itching to take their revenge.

They clearly cannot understand why this is happening, when they are the ones who pay school fees locally and feed the nation amidst untold difficulties yet our neighbours who have no obligation to saving lives in our country are allowed to play havoc with the agricultural sector. Farmers will seek to vote for a Government that sees, understand and cares for them.

The forthcoming harmonised elections are thus clearly an opportunity for many citizens of Zimbabweans who have met disappointment and felt placed at the bottom of the economic priority list to make their verdict known on whether we should continue depending on imports or begin unlocking opportunities that are resident locally.

Citizens also weary of so much talk by our ministers who say the right things when it comes to imports and yet in the realm of application do the opposite.
Yet against all this, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must be commended for taking the lead and being totally unashamed in buying local.

The electoral body has ensured that all its materials are sourced locally. Its ballot papers are going to be printed locally and its printers are local.
By taking this decision ZEC has also become the envy of many of our neighbouring countries who shamelessly import materials for this important national exercise.

While ZEC is known to be going through a financial crunch, with Government unable to release funds time-ously it must be commended for ensuring that the millions that continue to trickle through are not used to create jobs elsewhere and empower persons in foreign lands. Well done ZEC. Of course this begs the question why institutions such as the State Procurement Board, have dismally failed in protecting local manufacturers and suppliers.

Surely if the example set by ZEC had been diligently followed in most public tenders, it is very possible that quite a handful of companies in the textile sector in Bulawayo would still be in operation.

We would also suspect that through targeted interventions, SPB would have been very critical in saving our country of foreign currency, which in turn would have gone to sectors such as agriculture as loans.

For Buy Zimbabwe we hope the forthcoming elections will take off from the ZEC example and usher in more accountability as well as bring to an end policy uncertainty, confusion and mixed signals on the kind of economic policies we seek to pursue as a country.

Now that ZEC has been very unapologetic by choosing local suppliers, we see no reason why the next government should not insist on SPB prioritising locals in their tender processes. However we are also clear that what ZEC has done must not be restricted to the public sector alone.

The private sector too, has a responsibility for ensuring that Zimbabwe prospers. Their actions impact on their own capacity to grow, secure funding and contribute to wealth and employment generation for all.

In fact the private sector as the economic engine of the country must take a lead in supporting the local industry to grow.
Just as well those that are mandated with presiding over our important national exercise have been the first to cast the all important vote.

They have put Zimbabwe first and came up tops for buying from the local market.
Both public and private sectors now have an example to follow. We are confident that the next Government will not disappoint.

Once again well done ZEC for Buying Zimbabwe and for reminding us that we must put our country first.
Till we meet again, we urge you all to remember that Buying Zimbabwe is the only way of creating wealth, jobs and keeping our pride.

Cell 00263773751878 Email: vandudzai @buyzimbabwe.org.zw