Back to Index

Ensnared patriots and thieves
Tapera Kapuya
November 16, 2010

The recent rants emerging from Nathaniel Manheru, whoever he/she is, should be challenged, for letting them proceed contaminates some issues so fundamental to the construction of Zimbabwe-s economic development. Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, seems to be the only brave one to step into the debate and provide a classical rebuttal of the Manheru nuisances. In his argument, Biti has raised the horn in reminding us as a country that we are fundamentally alone and the accumulation and structure trajectory being punted by elements aligned to Zanu PF elites is disastrous.

Let-s unmask Manheru-s argument. He begins a few weeks back by seeking to draft into Zanu a 'patriotic capitalist and managerial class-. The land reform is concluded, he argues, and therefore the landed classes are secured into Zanu PF ranks by way of 'permanent- patronage. Such patronage is secured by the suspensive nature of 'title-. Those resettled will not be given permanent title - but a combination of offer letters and leases whose security is only guaranteed by one-s loyalty to 'party-.

The party-s strides in encroaching into private capital relations seeks to achieve at a marginal, if not blackmail level, an embedded private sector elite. This is so for a number of reasons, but more so, to extend rent based alliances with the black economic elite. Having failed to depoliticize the professionals and economic elite class, Zanu PF has resorted to subtle coercion meant to ensure that those of such classes who as citizens share the hopes for the future in the MDC, or other alternative political and civil society movements are terrorized into Zanu PF. It is even worse for those who sit on the fence and hide behind the cover of churches. The most classical of these acts of coercion is Manheru-s constant public mention, and more recently, his descriptive summary of who amongst the country-s business persons and professionals constitutes a 'good- patriot and who constitutes a 'sellout- - 'who is at the front or is a front-.

Biti-s intervention was appropriately diplomatic and avoided what should have been an obvious (what). In particular he reminds us of the realities of Zanu PF-s patronage system and how it has suffocated development, contracted the economy and undermined what could, and should be, robust economic growth. He made mention too, and importantly so, the frightening picture of abuse of power where the might of the state, in particular the intelligence, is used to spook on the private sector with such information being used for the public whipping and sometimes humiliation of any such persons who might not be paying 'rent Biti-s worry is that instead of the state objectively interfacing with private citizens and their economic lives through transparent regulation, taxation and other mechanisms as provided by law, there has been a tendency of arbitrariness, extortion and real criminality in the way Zanu PF and its elites have dealt with independently acquired wealth.

This corrupt structure is not only confined to the top-end of the economy. It exists from the rural village up. To get a commercial stand to start a grinding mill or a township grocer, one has to be gloved into the Zanu PF structures. No one is spared - there has to be at a particular interval forced 'donations- or 'protection- fees and ultimately a vote. This is how licences are issued, permits are granted, and 'freedom- is secured.

Manheru-s construction of citizens- private economic lives attempts to give rationality to this. In it, we are referred to Fanon, Cabral and others, to fashion the idea of a state driven and appended 'anchor- class. But what can not be missed is the swift progression by Manheru, and indeed his masters and ilk- whoever they are - into non-ideological authoritarianism. Far from the initial posturing for democratic welfarism of socialism, we are seeing the most extremes of blunt theft, corruption and rent seeking. Within the Zanu PF fold, we see no significant attempts at production or innovation. The Zanu PF project in the state is not to create wealth but to steal the remnants of the pre-independence enclave economy to a minority post independent compliant elite. The concept is economic transfer not equitable growth.

They had 30 years of unrestricted opportunity to mend their lives as economic barons. Far from even reproducing and expanding existing industry and economic opportunity, the economy remains what it was in 1980, plus the little international capital has added -narrow, minerals extraction based and a superficial services and financing sector. It is an admission of this failure that we see 30 years down the line calls for a very unimaginative 'indigenisation- policy which misses to explain how benefit accrues beyond the few 'included- in the 51% robbery train. Tendai-s joke at a recent budget consultative meeting in Masvingo: 'failure to even imagine the urgency to grow the economy by 51%-, is to the point.

These are thieves, and economically illiterate ones for that matter. The context is this: our country not only is a small market and our economic growth is dependent on alternative markets. What we produce will need to be sold somewhere. The more opportunities to sell will be one of the key drivers for productivity, and in turn, more jobs for the millions of our people and attendant, hopefully, living conditions. Even where markets should exist, there is need to finance the production apparatus. Tendai is attentive to this detail, and has been very vocal in his argument that existing economic structural framework is a road to the graveyard and needs change. Frankly, how do we expect to receive lectures on economic relations from people so dull they ran an economy which could not even be able to produce such basics as salt or soap?

Plainly, as the old is exiting, however some might be in their denial, we always need to assert the promise of tomorrow. There is a brighter future ahead for Zimbabwe - a future which will demand justice, hold thieves to account and restore what they plundered. The affirmation of one-s patriotism at every juncture of citizen existence will pass, for one-s private affairs and choices are uniquely theirs. Those who chose to earn their meal from public life should not impose their imaginations on those who seek other spheres to contribute to their welfare and nation. And indeed, the state-s days as an instrument for expropriation are coming to an end. Those who choose to hide behind a dying donkey must well know how foul a stench its carcass exudes.  

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP