We have heard the President, over to you Ministers

26 Jan, 2018 - 00:01 0 Views

eBusiness Weekly

Kudzanai Sharara
Since November 24, 2017 the most talked about name in the country has been that of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Rightly so, as he has recently taken over from former president Robert Mugabe, the country’s only ruler for 37 years.

The way he came into office was also dramatic as it came a few weeks after he was fired from both the Ruling Party and Government.

It also came at a time that he had been publicly humiliated, never mind an attempt on his life. So it’s not a surprise that his name has been part of the national discourse for quite a while now.

As he attends the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which started on the 23 of this month and ends today, President Mnangagwa’s name continues to dominate media space, both the traditional and social media.

We have also seen widespread coverage even in the international media, with Bloomberg carrying a video interview, while the Financial Times, has carried articles ranging from the interview he had with one of their reporters as well as an editorial titled — “Mnangagwa’s “new” Zimbabwe merits support.”

While the profile and interest on President Mnangagwa stems from the person he took power from — Robert Mugabe was a charismatic leader who drew admiration and condemnation both locally and internationally — it has also come from his message since he came into power.

His inauguration speech resonated with what many Zimbabweans have been clamouring for, the need to revive the ailing economy. This has got him a lot of goodwill. While many would have expected him to be concentrating on solidifying his political position and hit the election campaign trail, President Mnangagwa has mostly, if not only, been talking about the need to make sure that the country’s economy works again.

Zimbabwe is open for business, is a phrase that has been a constant feature in all his speeches.

His conduct has also been symbolic and befitting the mantra that Zimbabwe is indeed open for business. In the short space of time, the president has found time to sit and deliberate with business leaders and those whose input can drive the country’s economic revival efforts.

The other day he took time to sit down and listen to heads of the country’s universities, who sought to find common ground with industry in an effort to tie the country’s education system and industry requirements. He went on to meet with captains of the industry where he also participated in deliberations on how best we can take the country’s economy forward.

All this pointing to the notion that he is open to ideas and is willing to listen to those who want to do business. The town hall meeting he had with the youth was also another indication of how open he is to new ideas and even to criticism — he is willing to engage. If former president Robert Mugabe ever had such open meetings, then it was not in the last two decades.

Over to you Ministers

While the President is there to set the pace and tone of his vision for the country, thus as far as he can go. His job is to lead, while the hard work and implementation of his vision is done elsewhere; and after him the next port of call is the ministers.

The men and few women who have been given ministerial posts are the ones who can make or break the plans the President has for this country. If these men and women are not up to the task, then President Mnangagwa’s words and promises will not come to fruition. If the appointed ministers are corrupt and demand kickbacks from potential investors, again chances of the much needed FDI coming into the country will be very limited.

Incompetency and half-hearted implementation of policies and direction is something that should not be tolerated from our ministers.

Hopefully, like he has done in other issues, President Mnangagwa will depart from former president Robert Mugabe’s way of dealing with those who were incompetent in their tasks.

It was very rare, under the Mugabe administration, for ministers to be fired in cases where they were found to be incompetent or corrupt. At one time the former president declared that one of his Cabinet was the worst he had ever had, but still most, if not all, of those ministers were kept in the jobs.

At worst they were reshuffled to other ministries. Zimbabweans abhor the reshuffling of dead wood, and hopefully the President will priorities performance ahead of loyalty. It is also hoped that the men and women who will occupy positions of authority will be there on merit.

With the President having spoken at length and many a time about his vision for Zimbabwe, focus should now turn to ministers in their various portfolios. We need to hear their voices; we need to hear about their plans. When the president says Zimbabwe is open for business, we need to see for example the minister of tourism, coming out and highlighting opportunities that are abound in that sector. Not only that, the openness to investors of such sectors should be highlighted. The expectations from investors should be clear and starting a business should be very easy, while the cost of doing business should be competitive.

A few ministers have come out and highlighted a few things in their portfolios, but more needs to be done. It’s time ministers lessen the burden on the President to explain what Zimbabwe is all about. His vision must now be understood and implemented by all, lest we go back to the past era, where there was one centre of ideas on where the country should go. It’s about time ministers share their plans and visions.

After all the President is in Davos, where the theme is “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World.”

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