New Dispensation should do things differently: President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government told

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo

Apparently, I woke up at 3 am. I’m just thinking of the November 27, 2017 event, and I can safely conclude with the phrase “The New dispensation has just been eroded by a flood of events “.

Can you believe that we have a CEO of National Broadcaster, who has a sports qualification? How many people in the market, who have DBA (Doctor in Business Administration), yet today, we have a CEO of ZBC with an Events qualification? Can this be possible under a theme entitled “New Dispensation”, or “Second Republic?” Impossible !!!

Take note of the following:

1. Looting and plundering of national resources is just too much

Gold and precious minerals are not finding their way to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, and there is too much looting, and nothing is happening. The Great Dyke minerals, Midlands belt, and this is inclusive of Zvishavane, Kwekwe, Gweru, Gokwe, and many other places, and there is too much silence from the Executive, and this does not give a good reflection of servant leadership.

2. Criminals have regrouped around you

Unfortunately, they will never come out in the open, until an explosion takes place in the near future. I want to believe, the very purported to be in good books with you, those who pretend to love you, have regrouped in the name of “the last line of defense”, who will be denouncing you in the near future, have surrounded you, feeding you with wrong information.

3. Drop all the politics, and focus on development

The whole nation is chocked with politics. We witnessed recalling of legislators, grabbing of farms, eviction of opposition leader from Harvest House, clamping down of activists, and many other narratives, and this does not give a good reflection of the new dispensation or second republican. No major projects, we are simply witnessing politics.

4. Amending the Constitution is not necessary

Why amending the constitution? The Constitutional making process which took place from 2009-2013 has been reversed. All the Economic gains have been shuttered. Those around you will never give you an honest opinion on what is exactly on the ground. How do we then expect the increase of FDI? No meaningful strategic engagements with credible international partners.

5. The ground is not looking good for you

We are experiencing a light-weight Presidency, and the value of the Presidency is slowly fading away, and the grassroots is now taking your Honourable office as a “Common Office”. There is a need for you to restore value, as State Presidency.

6. You must be felt on the ground

A few weeks ago, we witnessed the official opening of a bridge; though it was a political score, it was not expected from a Head of State, to fly to Karande, to open a single footbridge. You have Deputy Ministers, and local Government officials or traditional Chiefs were alternatively the best, to offer such a service.

7. State House must be strictly for “State functions”

State House is an important place for you as the Head of State, which common people must never hoover around such a beautiful place. State House, should never be commonplace. It must add value to your Honourable office. We saw the likes of Chebundo, Timveous, and many others defecting to the ruling party, and they were paraded on those such important offices, and this gives the impression that State residency, is now commonplace, which is popularly known as ” Plot Number 1″.

7. You must be felt on the ground

We need more volume, on why you are in that important Office. We need direction as a nation, on where we are going. Towns must reflect new ideas, new thoughts, the face of Harare and Bulawayo cities must reflect leadership. We have old Infrastructure, our roads have become death traps, and we have too many groundbreaking ceremonies, there must be a new developmental path or milestone.

8. Put a Valve on Corruption in the public sector

Corruption has been rampant in the whole public sector. No signs of improvement. No meaningful arrests and people may be tempted to think, you are part of the looting scheme. Public officials, senior Government officials who have been fingered in highly profiled cases in the country have remained in their positions, which makes your position weaker to fight the graft. Your neighbouring friend, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, has dropped several public officials as a sign of singling out corruption.

9. We need a Sound Development Policy

We don’t have a proper Economic Recovery plan to deal with the current trajectory. We don’t have a proper National Development plan in place to rebuild our country. We have a fragile economy with no proper apparatus in place to achieve targeted projections.

10. Tribal card has divided our country

It’s all about Midlands or Masvingo clan in our Government and State structures. The Government has now flooded with people from Masvingo or Midlands clan, which does not reflect servant leadership. Key Ministerial portfolios have been awarded to individuals from these two provinces leaving out the whole chunk of 8 provinces, and we risk putting our country in flames. You have an obligation to unite the country.

11. Your legacy

You must be worried about your legacy, as a Head of State. You are remaining with two solid years, as Head of State, perhaps before renewing your contract with the people of Zimbabwe in 2023, what is it that you can show them that you were in that position? You need to be remembered, your kids would want to enjoy meals in town, there is life after politics, you want to walk in town without any escort, you would love to be given the title ” father Zimbabwe”, or ” Uncle ED”, and you would love to drive around without any bodyguards, and buildings which you engineered should be named after you, what is it that we can name after you? You don’t need to open buildings that were opened during Mugabe’s era, you should come up with your own initiatives, and this must happen now.

12. Go through your Facebook posts (2014-2017)

I was going through your Facebook posts, from 2014 to 2017, and I almost wept. I could not believe, it was your page. In times like these, it is important to reflect on your leadership and take the simple route of servant leadership.

13. Government must stop working on TV

What comes out of ZTV, is different from the reality on the ground. We need more TV stations, State of the Art hospitals, state of the art school of medicine, we need spaghetti roads etc. We need more radio stations. Honestly, Mr President, we have one TV station since independence? What has gone wrong with us?

14. The weakest cabinet

The whole central Government is at its weakest point. There is a total disconnection between the State and ordinary citizens. No one cares about what is happening in the Government. Take time to reflect on this, no one is bothered with what is happening in the country. No one has time to watch ZTV, if you ask who is the Minister of Tourism, no one cares much about that. During Mugabe’s era, I would recite all Government officials, Ministers, and ask an individual in the streets to name just three Ministers, you will be lucky to get only two, and it is a sign of a light-weight Presidency. This needs to be sorted.

Reflect with soberness !!!

The best Mr. President !!!

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo is the Head of Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking – ZIST, and he can be contacted at tinamuzala@gmail.com