MDC ministers under spotlight

Financial Gazette

Monday, 28 February 2011

By Clemence Manyukwe, Political Editor

THE swearing in of ministers from both formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) two years ago was greeted with much expectation as Zimbabweans basked in the hope that new brooms sweep clean, a year after President Robert Mugabe had described his cabinet as the “worst in history.”

President Mugabe’s announcement was not the first as he had previously indicated that ZANU-PF ministers had let him down, hence the public’s raised anticipation when fresh brains were thrust into the deep end following nearly a decade of economic and political upheavals.

But as the country heads for fresh polls, that hope is fast fading with analysts saying even though the MDC formations’ entry into government stabilised the economy, the majority of their ministers have performed below par.

There were observations that even with the existence of funding constrains, there are measures that can carry the nation forward which could be implemented without the hindrance of financial resources.

This week, the president of the  Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Lovemore Matombo, said he had hoped that the MDC formations would collectively push government to tackle corruption, but that has not been the case, with reports of looting of state assets and resources going unpunished, besides inaction against some ministers fingered for graft.

Despite the former opposition’s efforts in stabilising the economy, Matombo lamented that it has not translated into meaningful growth to facilitate job creation to lift the majority of Zimbabweans out of unemployment.

“They have not performed to our expectations. One thing I have observed is that some of the new ministers don’t understand their responsibilities. They don’t seem to act in the best interest of the public. Look at the civil service audit issue, the minister is MDC,” said Matombo in reference to Public Service Minister, Eliphas Mukonoweshuro’s failure to make a statement on the outcome of the civil service audit that he launched in November 2009.

“Look at the Minister of Health (Henry Madzorera), he is MDC but now there is commercialisation of public health institutions like Parirenyatwa and Harare hospitals, but those who suffer are the voiceless. I am saying something that I saw personally; my relative was involved in an accident and they could not attend to him, relatives had to run around looking for money while he lay bleeding. That is an MDC minister and one would have thought he would have put certain measures (in place).”

Another analyst, Alex Magaisa said all ministers have been largely influenced by allegiances to their respective political parties, with lack of a uniform and coherent ideology and policy framework generally being the inclusive government’s Achilles Heel.

He, however, singled-out two members of the executive, Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Education Minister David Coltart for having strived to make a visible impact on the lives of Zimbabweans.

“Nevertheless, perhaps because of the strategic importance of his ministry, Tendai Biti has been the most visible and from what I have observed he has acquitted himself well given the fact that his lack of experience in matters of economic and financial management was cited as a weakness when he took up the job in 2009,” said Magaisa.

“David Coltart has quietly but effectively handled the key education ministry which is beginning to deliver some results. The education sector is critical in national development because an uneducated generation is a recipe for disaster so Coltart’s work in resuscitating that area must be commended. Those two ministers have stood out for me and have shown impressive ability to navigate the stormy waters whilst delivering discernible results that affect ordinary people’s lives.”

Magaisa said there is, however, room for improvement.

The secretary general of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, Raymond Majongwe, also praised Coltart saying besides the targets he has set for himself, the minister has also brought a new dispensation in the ministry characterised by communication, consultations, engagement and dialogue with stakeholders, a development that he said was absent at the education ministry during the era of Aeneas Chigwedere and his predecessors.

Majongwe also expressed di-sappointment, with the way Mukonoweshuro has taken long to make a pronouncement on the Public Service audit saying even if he has any problems, he should come clean and not relegate the nation to guessing.

On Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma, whose ministry oversees the energy sector — fuel, electricity being critical, Majongwe said: “we need people who are hands on — outreaching.”

An analyst based at the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom, Brilliant Mhlanga, said the major drawback on the performance of ministers is their continued to bickering on positions and their constant arguments on semantics of whether there are sanctions or not.

Mhlanga described most ministers as clueless adding that they “continue tricking and tripping each other in the corridors of power without serving Zimbabweans.”

“Further, what we know is that they all seem to be celebrating the fact that Zimbabweans have been reduced to a level of thinking about the here and now; the politics of the stomach, where everyone celebrates the fact that supermarkets are no longer empty as if they are giving them enough money through salaries to buy the available commodities of it,” said the University of Westminster lecturer.

“Remember, we have Ministers like Gorden Moyo, who even went to the extent of addressing a meeting in London and telling the British that there are no sanctions when the British had even confirmed thro-ugh their foreign office that there are sanctions in Zimbabwe.

“So how do you even recognise such a minister as serving and performing exceptionally well when it is even clear that you have an ideologically bankrupt man who is merely singing for his supper?”