adminArchie Tsanga Correspondent
Since Independence, various polices have been crafted to help the Zimbabwean economy and Zim-Asset is the latest of these blueprints.
Zim-Asset comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s economic and political sovereignty have been violated by western governments seeking regime change in the country.
The devastation of the sanctions runs to over $40 billion.
Thus Zim-Asset seeks not only to assuage the negative effects of the sanctions regime but also to set the country on the path of “sustainable socio-economic transformation”.
President Mugabe is on record as saying, “This results-based agenda is built around four strategic clusters that will enable Zimbabwe to achieve economic growth and reposition the country as one of the strongest economies in the region and Africa.”
The four clusters are food security and nutrition; social services and poverty eradication; infrastructure and utilities and value addition and beneficiation.
These four clusters complement each other and they all lead to common goals that are, economic emancipation, economic growth, job creation and poverty eradication which are all supported by one Zimbabwean law, the indigenisation and empowerment law.
Interestingly, President Mugabe has lately been preaching the same message to Africa where he is the chairman of both Sadc and the African Union.
Impediment
The biggest impediment to the full implementation of Zim-Asset and why others are still sitting in the terraces while other progressive Zimbabweans are busy in the soccer field to achieve “Bhora Mugedhi” on economic emancipation, is lack of knowledge on what Zim-Asset seeks to achieve and what President Mugabe is driving at when he talks about indigenisation and empowerment.
It is sad to note that 35 years after independence we still have others who are mentally oppressed and lack their sense of identity.
Oppression is a virus that destroys one’s self-esteem and self-value.
If you are still oppressed and you are told you are nothing and will never amount to anything, one can easily believe so, why, because he/she lacks true identity.
Zimbabwe is endowed with vast resources, and it boasts of a 92 percent literacy rate and its people are the most civilised people on this earth, save for a few who we still believe can come back to their senses and contribute meaningfully to the national economy.
In Genesis God gives dominion to humankind and entrusts each and every Zimbabwean with resources that are scattered all over, resources such as diamonds, gold, platinum, land, flora and fauna and God expects us to enjoy these resources which have been put at our disposal not to be beggars but instead to be empowered through such resources which meet the objectives of Zim-Asset.
In other words this policy is spiritually influenced and God guided, that is value addition and beneficiation, we must benefit from our resources and whatever is put at our disposal.
Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and no one should come and dictate how we utilise our resources.
President Mugabe made this point very clear in South Africa during his historic visit this week.
Enabling environment
The people of Zimbabwe ought to realise that it is only themselves who can take this country forward.
Government has created an enabling environment with policies (Indigenisation and Empowerment Act) that only does not benefit but favour locals.
Zimbabweans need to fully understand that what government seeks to achieve is to provide meaningfully to each citizen so that at least an average family can afford a decent meal every day.
Unfortunately it will not be possible for President Mugabe to go door-to-door giving meals to every family, but what he can do is enact laws and policies that instead of giving a fish to a man instead give a fishing rod, fishing nets and a dam full of fish and tell you now fish as much as you want and provide for your family.
The indigenisation and empowerment law is straight forward and enjoins Zimbabweans to be masters of their own destinies rather than allow foreigners or imperialists coming in to extract resources and take them away to benefit their own nations, which in simple definition is day light robbery.
What is mined in the country should directly benefit Zimbabweans hence the 10 percent equity for community share ownership schemes.
These schemes have been launched in Mhondoro Ngezi, Shurugwi, Zvishavane, Marange, Zimunya and Hwange among others.
Zimbabweans, particularly university graduates, need to realise that it is only in Zimbabwe that we can easily enter into managerial positions in industry and commerce because of an environment that is centred on its needs.
Zim Asset needs progressive people with a vision for this country.
This is a policy which needs people to take advantage and empower themselves.
Even in a business environment that has been affected by the illegal sanctions, we have had young entrepreneurs who are “thinking outside the box” and have made it big thus complementing government efforts of indigenisation and empowerment.
Young entrepreneurs like Justice Major Wadyajena (Mayor Logistics), Wicknell Chivhayo (Intrateck Zimbabwe), Frank Buyanga (real estate), just to mention a few, are a new crop of young successful Zimbabweans who have made it because of black empowerment.
The time to be bench-warmers is long gone; the Zimbabwean people particularly the youths need to complement government efforts.
In 2012, $37 million was disbursed as loans to youths across the country to fund various projects.
The Ministry of Mines is giving out mining claims to Zimbabweans irrespective of gender, race, colour or political affiliation.
The Minister of Finance Patrick Chamisa last year hinted that the country is in fact exporting more money and jobs through the importation of just about anything from fuel to match sticks.
The manufacturing sector needs to be revived and not any South African citizen or Chinese citizen will come to work. The duty entirely rests with Zimbabweans.
During its peak 1980-90, manufacturing contributed 22 percent to the country’s GDP.
The writer is the CEO of the Zimbabwe Young Achievers Forum. He is contactable [email protected].
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