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Thursday, 30 June 2016

Taking the shine out of Harare, the Sunshine City

By Bernard Bwoni

The dusty patches that have overwhelmed the many and once-green spaces around the Harare Central Business District all the way to Mupedzanhamo are an eyesore and very disappointing for a once cosmopolitan city as Harare. This is the Sunshine City, the city of business and the economic core of the country. This is where all the action is meant to happen, the centre where domestic and international business dawn. All the shine has been taken over by the dirt and dust whilst the City Fathers squabble and scramble for this and that position. These are the men and women entrusted with the smooth running of this great city and it is disheartening that they are oblivious to the dust bowls and erosion that have taken over the city walkways and sidewalks. The personal jostling for positions has overtaken the duty to deliver efficient services for the city. Saviour Kasukuwere is absolutely right in challenging this degenerate state that the city has been carelessly turned into and he should continue until this great city begins to shine again.

Harare is probably one of Africa's most beautiful cities and one of the continent's greatest. It is a city with presence and some parts picturesque. The jacaranda lined streets, a juxtaposition of modern and old colonial architecture gives Harare its distinctive character. This is a city filled with smiles and sounds. There are bands at roof-tops and at night the city emits enchanting sounds and scents. This is one of Africa's safest cities. There is an emerging Afro-Soul scene and the sounds are soul-soothing. Mookomba is an intriguing raw talent. Young Brian Kadengu is right there with the rest and best. This is Harare and unfortunately it is being run by inefficient self-seeking desert-makers who have no business being where they are. Kasukuwere should not be deterred by the voices of retrogression and self-preservation. The city councils must be rid of the chuff and debris period!

The daytime in Harare is a whole different story to the soulful nights. Harare becomes a busy and bustling concoction of business people and those engaging in their own private affairs. The streets, pavements and walkways are heaving with people. This is a city overloaded with people from all walks of life. This once clean and tidy city is clearly crumbling under pressure from this people excess. The roads in the city centre are fine. It is the once leafy and lush spaces that are now looking tired and brown in most cases thanks to a clueless city council. The pavements and walkways are coming apart or have already done so in most cases and in urgent need of repair and replacement. The city planning requires a rethink to cater for the unprecedented population advent into the city. There are just too many people in this city and it is not sustainable. There are limited road crossing facilities and hence the unrestrained jaywalking that is both dangerous and irritating even for the most patient of drivers. The walkways, the pavements and the once green spaces have turned into ugly mini desert patches. This is right in the centre of the country's economic hub. A walk through the Kopje area will leave your perfectly polished shoes worse than a gravedigger's boots. Now this is unacceptable in such a great city.

It is interesting to note that the Pavement in York City in England was the first walkway to be paved in 1378. Today the whole of York city is paved and cobbled beautifully. The Great Zimbabweans who constructed the monumental Great Zimbabwe had begun paving their walkways 200 years before many cities who today boast of some of the well-crafted pavements and walkways. The city of Dubrovnik has some fantastic cobbled walkways and Venice has some of the most enchanting alleyways all perfectly done. This makes one wonder what is the reason for the disconnect between the bold Great Zimbabwe engineers who built the solid Great Zimbabwe City all with cobbled walkways and the people of Zimbabwe today? Where is the passion, the power and pride exhibited by the Great Zimbabweans? The Great Zimbabweans were paving and cobbling walkways as far back as 1100BC and yet in 2016 their descendants are lazily striding and stomping in dust and dirt in the centre of their cities. Our heads should hang perennial shame for letting our forebears down.

Paving and stone cobbling are in the marrow of Zimbabweans. This is a Zimbabwean art form. It is not expensive, or I should say, it mustn't be expensive. It is appalling that the heirs of Great Zimbabweans should be walking in dust and dirt in such a great city as Harare and any other city for that matter. Instead of having sleepless nights thinking of ways to restore the city's dignity and getting such basic and simple tasks right, the city fathers are busy squabbling for positions. Now that is redundancy of reason and responsibility. These city fathers work in Harare, their feet tread on this dirt and dust without due care or attention on a daily basis and that does not nudge them into some form of remedial action. They way too preoccupied with the politics of positions than effective service delivery. There is no urgency and there is no shame. How can a whole Mayor or Town Clerk go to work in the morning from Monday to Friday and then go home in the evening without being aware of this in-your-face dirt and dust? Are they waiting for dust storms to start damaging buildings and endangering lives for them to notice?

The situation can easily be addressed and rectified if that City Council was manned by a dedicated and selfless team. A team that is solely preoccupied with service delivery instead of personal allowances and benefits. Zimbabwe is facing unemployment challenges and the city of Harare engaging young people in city paving and cobbling initiatives will create jobs for them. There are many young people busy harassing motorists in the city centre who can be engaged in city walkways cobbling and paving. Empowering the young to learn the art of paving creates work for them and in so doing they master a relevant skill. The city has to go on a walkway paving offensive and this needs to be same with other cities. When you travel to many great cities in the world, Americas, Europe, Asia and so on, the one thing they prioritise is paving and cobbling. There are pertinent reasons for that. It is not just for aesthetic reasons but national pride and to attract business.

The Great Zimbabweans showed great workmanship judging from the ruins they left behind, they paved their walkways and today great cities like Harare are being run by individuals more concerned about personal gain rather than sorting out the mess that the city has been turned into. They can come up with excuses forged in outer space, but this mess is inexcusable. This is the capital city for crying out loud!

The mess in Harare City is an accurate indication and reflection of the calibre of those running the city. In all fairness the cost of paving and cobbling all the bare, dirty and dusty patches in Harare city centre would probably be covered by the annual salary plus allowances of one of these overpaid and evidently inefficient people manning the city. This decrepit state of Harare is not a case of resources dearth but rather idleness and not-fit-for-purpose characteristics of those running the show. Some might argue that there are more pressing issues to worry about than dust and dirt. Well that is partly true but the dirt and dust issue is a real issue and unacceptable in a great city as Harare. With paved walkways and alley-ways it is easy to control and clean the dust and dirt. It is true that the dust and dirt invites more dirt. People are less likely to throw rubbish on clean surfaces than dirty ones.

Harare would look plush with perfectly paved walkways and sidewalks with sitting areas catered for. Compared to many other cities in the world, Harare remains generally safe. There is a need to increase street lighting, pavements, alleyway and walkway lighting to further enhance safety and aesthetics. These might seem frivolous additions but these are important details for investment, business, tourism and national pride. International business is heading towards Zimbabwe and serious business executives don't like turning up for meetings with dusty shoes. They don’t feel safe walking in pitch black alleyways and sidewalks. Walkways and alleyways are simple to construct. Tourism and lighting walk hand in hand. When people visit new places they like to feel safe. Zimbabwe is a safe destination generally and more lighting in walkways and alleyways will go a long way in enhancing safety. Clean, well paved and well-lit streets, walkways and alleyways are magnets for travellers and international business people. These are basics that those manning Harare City Council should get first time round.

Harare is the economic hub of the country and first impressions matter. The city's image has to create lasting impressions for the right reasons and not because of dust bowls and dusty storms. It is a pity that those entrusted with manning and running the city are clearly unaware of that as they continue the service delivery unrelated political scrummaging. The simple case of paving and patching dust patches will without a doubt enhance the city's image for both locals and visitors alike. The citizens should continue to put pressure on the city fathers into action.

Taking the shine out of Harare, the Sunshine City

By Bernard Bwoni

Taking the shine out of the Sunshine City

By Bernard Bwoni

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Zimbabwe Opposition: dismissing the inconvenient truths about the grassroots

By Bernard Bwoni

They are “stupid”, “a complete joke”, “mediocre”, “dull and dumb”, “blind and poor souls” and “crazy morons”. These are some of the scathing terms and expressions used by some oppositions officials and supporters to describe the hundreds of thousands who attended the ruling party’s Youth Wing organised Million Man March in Harare recently. There were also some of the outrageous statements used such as “you should have said one million fools march”, “they are dumb to attend that stupid march”, “they were frogmarched and bussed to the march” and “no sane person would attend such a march”. These were some more disparaging remarks coming from within the opposition circles to describe those who came to Harare for the march. There were some explicit attacks on the physical characteristics and appearance of some of those who attended with such assertions, “emaciated looks of the stupid marchers” and “poor skin pigmentation of crazy morons” being thrown about. Zimbabwean music ace Oliver Mtukudzi was not spared for performing at the occasion and there was outrage from all ranks of the opposition. The MDC-T spokesperson went on to boldly state, “I reiterate that Tuku has sold his soul for a few pieces of silver. Period!”. The opposition was unforgiving to those who attended that march and the attacks came flying from all angles. There were allegations and counter-allegations of those who attended as “having no brains” and having been forced in their many thousands to attend. Some of the statements directed at those who attended the march are too graphic and despicable to repeat. If those are the depth the opposition will sink, then surely the ruling party will govern for the next millennium.

The reactions from the opposition officials and some of their members leaves a sour taste and this is points to an urgent need of a complete regeneration before they can attain the required standards required to govern. Those people who attended the march are adults who have the ability to think independently and make very independent decisions like all of us. Thus, for the opposition ranks to label them “morons, stupid and dumb” for thinking for themselves and making their own decisions to attend that march is a blitz on the freedoms that the opposition repeatedly claim to champion. The undue slander exposes the opposition in Zimbabwe as hypocrites and the contempt they have for the poor and grassroots of Zimbabwe. Those people who were being described as “mediocre, foolish, silly” and many other descriptions way too colourful to print are the very same people who vote. Voters come in all manner of shades, shapes and physical appearances. The ridiculing remarks from the opposition were uncalled for and unnecessary. This is an opposition that needs to start looking inwards to begin to understand their endless shortfalls when it comes to elections.

This contemptuous offensive against ordinary Zimbabweans clearly exposes an opposition that separate itself from the poor and to very different standards from them. Those people who were gathered in Harare are ordinary citizens who made a conscious decision to attend a march and the ‘elitist’ opposition got into a grisly sweat and started hurling insults to discredit them. Those jibes thrown at the ordinary people of Zimbabwe who chose to attend the march exposes the opposition as seriously lacking in strategy to counter the dominance of the ruling party in Zimbabwe’s politics. The obsessions of the opposition when cornered focuses on ordinary Zimbabweans who have minds of their own and minds to think independently. These are ordinary people who came to the sober conclusion that they would travel many kilometres to attend a march organised by a party of their choice. They are free to do that in the same vein the opposition supporters are free to do the same without attracting such vile depiction. The opposition responded to the ruling party’s million-man march by holding their own rally in Bulawayo and no insults came flying their way. They were accorded respect to exercise their right to march without unjustified insults.

The opposition in Zimbabwe lacks grassroots appeal because of their elitist ideals and foundations. They do not understand the grassroots and never will. Those supposedly “emaciated and poor-looking people” are ordinary Zimbabweans who make up a big chunk of the electorate. I doubt very much they will take it lightly being referred to in those despicable terms for simply exercising their right to choose which march to attend. The opposition recently had a similar march, although not as well attended, and their supporters did not have expletives aimed at them. The Zimbabwe opposition ‘elites’ have this “them” and “us” mentality when it comes to the grassroots. This easily explains why they have failed dismally to make inroads in all grassroots constituencies. They are quite contended to scratch the surface of the Zimbabwe electoral playing field in the urban constituencies and then cry foul when the ruling party wins with a landslide.

The “poor and emaciated” people who the opposition were busy mocking and looking down upon in fact look up to politicians and that is politicians who do not look down on them. The reasons why the ruling party wins the hearts of these “poor and emaciated” people is due to the respect ZANU-PF extends to them. These are ordinary Zimbabweans who face daily challenges and to call them all manner of names is disrespect of the highest order. The condescending and dismissive undertones and attitude from the opposition ranks only repels voters and hence their perennial second fiddle status. The degrading remarks by the opposition suggest the social distance that exists between the ‘elitist’ Zimbabwe opposition and the grassroots. That is the ground that opposition will always struggle to gain on the ruling party which inhales and exhales the grassroots. The opposition pays scant attention to the same grassroots they despise so much and then cry foul when these “emaciated and poor people” vote for the ruling party in large numbers.

The Zimbabwe opposition is paralysed by its politics of power for the sake of power and they pay very little attention if any to those people who really matter. Attention is being solely paid to the urban voters whilst neglecting and looking down upon the grassroots. The snobbish attitude exhibited by those in the opposition extends to dismissing the inconvenient truths about them. The response from the ordinary Zimbabweans to these unwarranted attacks is a vote for the party that accords them the respect they deserve. Those people being demonised for attending the march are just like any other citizen and they should be accorded the respect befitting any other citizen. The Zimbabwe Constitution is very clear on freedoms and these “poor and emaciated” people exercised one of those freedoms when they gathered in Harare.

bernardbwoni.blogspot.com

Sunday, 22 May 2016

Spot fines will not address root causes adequately

By Bernard Bwoni

Corruption may be rational individually but socially and economically it is indefensible and inefficient. In Zimbabwe things are not going to change overnight because too many people have benefitted from corruption and bribes. Many will cling on and claw back to preserve their ill-gotten gains. It is not only those in positions of authority who have benefited but many ordinary citizens have fallen prey to the corruption snare. The recurrent issues police bribes are not a simple case of removing the spot fines and the problem is eradicated. That is just wishful thinking. There are indeed structural problems that need to be thoroughly investigated and addressed. Simply saying no spot fines is not going to resolve the deep-rooted causes that influence police corruption. Police officers are human and like most Zimbabweans affected by the tough economic conditions, they are indeed fallible. This is not in any way meant to excuse corrupt tendencies, however if the proposed changes to payment systems of the spot fines, there is a likelihood of police officers simply accepting even reduced bribes. The problem is not the spot fines, but rather the excessive numbers of road blocks on the roads. On some roads there seem to be more road blocks than street lights and it is shocking. The disproportionately high number of roadblocks is what is indeed fuelling and sustaining the corruption. Those are the structural problems that need to be changed, yes there are instances where road blocks or police presence is necessary, but some of it has just become a police get-together to extract some money out of the public.

Corruption is a culture and an attitude that has firmly rooted itself in the Zimbabwe psyche and society at large. It comes in the form of a relationship, there are both givers and takers in the corruption matrix. In an ideal world this unhealthy relationship would be easily ended by cancelling out the giver to starve off the taker. But we live in the real world, the world of poverty and hardship, the world of impatience and the world where people pay bribes and where police officers solicit these bribes. The difficulties faced by many are the same that affect police officers and unfortunately for motorists, the police officers make life difficult for many.

The bureaucracy involved in police administration put off motorists accepting tickets and many find it less time-consuming to just pay the reduced spot fine fee in the form of a bribe. Thus it is commendable that Minister Chombo is talking of the introduction of a system that will side line the police officer on the road completely. However, unless backed up by very easy-to-use electronic payment system, it is unlikely going to effectively curb the payment and taking of bribes. Many motorists are most likely going to find it cheaper and less cumbersome to offer bribes to police officers to get on with their journeys and avoid the rigours of having to go to some bureaucratic office somewhere and queue to pay for that ticket. It is a nightmare all round in this uncouth pool of corruption and bribery in the country. It is distressing having as many as four roadblocks all in a very short stretch of road and public offices are not the most pleasant places to visit. The administrators are arrogant and not very friendly, and as such most people are likely going to opt for the easier route of paying the bribe by the roadside to have the issue resolved instantly with no time consuming bureaucracy ahead. Once again this is not in any way meant to condone corruption or bribery, both on the part of the officers and motorists.

An effective and easy to use electronic payment system will do the trick. It is a fact that most motorists are going to compromise with corrupt officers to avoid the prolonged processes and procedures of going to pay for the ticket. The difficult is that corruption among law enforcement officials is a fact of life and deeply embedded in their DNA. Depriving the law enforcement officials of their unofficial “regular income” source is most likely going to make them more inventive and adapt to new ways of extracting bribes. They are likely going to make things very unbearable for drivers so as to make them pay the bribes by the roadside.

The problem with corruption and letting corrupt practices go without punishment is that it erodes trust people have in law enforcement and drains the much needed resources to revive the ailing Zimbabwe economy. The problem is that we are targeting only the physical symptoms of corruption and leaving out the real root of the evil. Harsher penalties should be imposed for wayward officers as a long term solution to the corruption endemic. The recent reports of some officials (ZIMRA) on allegations of corruption being transferred does not build confidence, it simply erodes confidence in the whole system. There has to real consequences for those who break the law and engage in corrupt practices, not a pat on the back. How the use of satellite monitoring is going to work at roadblocks in combating corruption remains to be seen, but it seemed very far-fetched.

The real problem is not exactly the issue of the payment method, but rather the whole issue around spot fines. That needs to be overhauled completely and maybe replaced by a points based system. A point based system deters and it also gives motorists time. It is educative and not merely punitive. There are instances where fines are necessary but spot fines are too subjective and hence why the issues of bribes are never going away. The one thing that needs to be addressed urgently is the disproportionately high number of roadblocks on the roads. The road blocks are excessive and in many instances unnecessary. The proliferation of the many roadblocks is exactly one of the root causes of corruptions. Zimbabwe does not have that many cars on the road to warrant that many roadblocks. It’s as if most policing resources are being diverted to road policing and yet real criminals mugging people and breaking into people’s properties are being left unattended.

There is something seriously wrong with the unrestricted numbers of road blocks on Zimbabwe’s roads. Police are mounting road blocks in rush hour traffic as people are heading to work and this potentially prove costly to businesses. Yes, agreed there are too many vehicles that are not roadworthy and these should not be on the roads period. The problem is that police stops these vehicles, accept bribes and these unsafe vehicles are recycled back onto the roads and one would not be far off the mark to suggest that is deliberate ploy to recycle the vehicles to solicit bribes on another day.

It is such a shame that police officers are busy congregating on certain road spots and yet there are buses and combis causing death by dangerous driving on the roads. Those are recurrent themes that need to be addressed. Trucks and passenger carrying vehicles such as long journey buses should have tachograph rules. There should be stiffer penalties for speeding drivers. There should be hours-of-service regulations and drivers’ hours’ regulations that must be adhered. These are real issues that need to be addressed urgently. Week in, week out there is a major accident and many lives lost and yet we have roadblocks even in neighbourhoods.

Both the police and the public are partners in the bribery ring and they should be partners in the fight against it. Corruption is a two-way street and that moment the two parties stop making excuses for themselves, the better the outcomes in the fight against corruption.

bernardbwoni.blogspot.com

Sunday, 15 May 2016

Zimbabwe- a landscape designed whilst the Gods smiled

Bernard Bwoni

Take any road in Zimbabwe, look up, and you’ll see a lovely hilltop, beautiful flora, rivers: a village or a small town, big cities and concealed little out of town centres, a few newer buildings mixed with the old, big imposing houses, some not at all in keeping with the surroundings. But even amid this juxtaposition there is something exceptional about Zimbabwe and its landscape.

You travel to the province of Masvingo and there lies the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe Empire. The imposing Kingdom that showcase the power of Zimbabwe. Great Zimbabwe clings to a denuded peak in the extreme south of the capital Harare. Tourists and visiting locals are often shocked by the crispness of this Great ancient city. It’s a meticulously layered settlement of dwellings build with local stone. There is something inherently inviting about this Great fortress, which towers above fertile plains.

From Nyanga to Kariba, Victoria Falls to Matopos, Khami to Great Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe landscape is awesome. An amazing country.

Chinhoyi Caves

Beautiful scenery Zimbabwe

The mesmerizing Victoria Falls

A Zimbabwe village

The Zimbabwe beauty is unmatched

Saturday, 14 May 2016

Zimbabwe bond notes: transitional stepping stones to economic growth

By Bernard Bwoni

Basic monetary theory will tell you that when an economy is struggling as what is happening with the Zimbabwe economy, the solutions are not always going to be pretty or pain-free. Those solutions lie in an aggressive monetary stimulus initiative. The bond notes, as anxiety-provoking as they may be, will offer the much needed short-term to long-term relief to the cash challenges facing the country. The RBZ Governor has repeatedly articulated this with authoritative clarity. The bond notes could easily be viewed as an extension of the bond coins and the idea is to address the cash shortages in the country. It is not only about alleviating the cash shortages, but also to stimulate economic growth and curb the illegal slippages of the USD out of the country. The strong dollar is particularly a significant problem for Zimbabwe’s economic growth. The value of the USD is far too high for a country like Zimbabwe. The country is fundamentally uncompetitive and this is reflected in the country’s huge current account deficit. Zimbabwe at the moment is unable to determine or pursue any expansionary fiscal policy, hence the continued fall in economic growth. The Reserve Bank has no independent monetary policy and government has very little if any fiscal space. There are structural problems that need to be dealt with as the long-term solutions. The government should be looking at reducing the bloated public sectors, lowering the very high national debt, improving tax collections, executing projects that inject money into the economy and continue to encourage foreign investment. However, these structural issues require time and ideally should be tackled when the economy has some level of stability and is strong enough, rather than when it is at its most vulnerable. The government is burdened with fiscal inflexibility and financial asphyxiation due to the multicurrency regime. At the moment cheap imported goods are being dumped onto the market, cash is not making it into the financial system and there is an urgent need to curb the trinkets that are making their way onto the market to the disadvantage of the domestic producer. The issuing of bond notes as an incentive for exports to stimulate growth is positive and requires national support.

The strong USD is not entirely good for exporters as prices for locally produced goods are going to remain high. This is because when the cost of production is high, prices of goods will also be high. When prices of goods and services increase, demand for those goods and services will decrease. That gap created by the expensive locally produced products is then filled by the cheap imports that are strewn on every street corner and supermarkets in the country. The outcome is reduced economic growth as happening in Zimbabwe right now. Economic growth is a cyclical process of increasing employment opportunities, production and consumption of goods and services. This is exactly what is being referred to when people talk about Zimbabwe’s economic growth potential. The stimulus initiatives being put forward by the RBZ are looking at addressing those economic fundamentals to kick start the country’s economic growth. The bond notes incentives are meant incentive and increase exports. The idea is to start producing those goods locally and cheaply, that they are priced competitively for both domestic consumers and for export. That way the economy will start to grow. People are rightly questioning and challenging the government to create jobs and only a growing economy will create jobs. An economy with a strong currency such as the USD and lacking the fundamentals for economic growth will inevitably struggle to take off. The initiatives being put forward by the RBZ are meant to increase production and with increased production comes increased sales and job creation. When people have jobs they have money to spend and with availability of money to spend on goods and services also increases. At the moment, supermarkets and shops are filled with goods, mostly imported, but people have no money to buy these goods and services.

The albatross around Zimbabwe’s economic growth is unfortunately the impact of a very strong currency which is bad for the country’s highly dollarized export economy which pays its workers in USD but sends its exports to countries whose currencies are weaker. The domestic manufacturers have repeatedly lamented that their competitiveness has been eroded by number of factors, some of which relate to the strong dollar. The effects of the strong dollar have meant that exports are curtailed, it’s cheaper to import than buy locally produced goods. The impact is felt by local producers because more imports cause a reduction in demand for their goods. There are also benefits to the consumer as well from a strong USD especially when they go outside to purchase goods and services. The cross-border traders benefit from the strong dollar especially with the current decline in the value of the SA Rand. The sad reality is that this is in a way exporting hard currency to an outside economy and in so doing Zimbabwe is exporting employment opportunities to that economy. When people go to SA with dollars to purchase goods for resale back in Zimbabwe, they are in fact propping up that country’s economy. These are basic economic fundamentals. Buying goods produced in SA for example with USD earned in Zimbabwe means we are boosting sales for SA firms, increased sales for SA firms means more employment opportunities for that country not Zimbabwe. These are some of the structural problems affecting the Zimbabwe economy. The imported goods bought in South Africa and sold on the street and markets in Zimbabwe are cash transactions and that money is unlikely to go into the monetary system. The new dollars earned in those street cash transactions are again taken to SA to buy more trinkets and the cycle begins again. This sustains livelihoods but the effects economy wide are profound.

The USD has its advantages and one of the advantages is the availability of goods in shelves which is important. It’s cheaper to import with the dollar and hence the country is unlikely going to face the shortages it did that period leading up to 2008. The problem for consumers is the availability of money to buy those goods and services. With no intervention, there is no end in sight to the country’s economic difficulties. The bond notes as a transitional solution could potentially plug the gap. With its multicurrency basket, in particular the greenback, Zimbabwe basically imported deflation. The solutions being proposed by the RBZ have the potential to initiate the stimulation of the economy as the bond notes will be issued as an incentive to promote exports, stimulate and stabilise the economy.

The country is importing some basic products that could and are already being easily manufactured in Zimbabwe. The strong USD means that Zimbabwe-made products will become more expensive for the rest of the world and to domestic consumers who will just embrace the cheap imports into the country. This affects domestic producers who may be forced to close shop as many have already done. This has a knock-on effect on employment and spending because with reduced manufacturing comes a reduction in employment opportunities and with no jobs consumer spending power is eroded. This means economic growth is hindered. Zimbabwe is a commodity exporter, the international markets price commodities in USD and a strong dollar will make commodities more expensive for other countries. This affects the country’s exports and reduced exports and increased imports created a negative current account.

It is an open secret that the multicurrency has imposed limitations on the government’s ability to conduct the country’s monetary policy. The dominance of the greenback in Zimbabwe has seriously impacted on economic recovery and economic growth by imposing severe liquidity constraints. The current cash shortages and USD outflows are some of the shocks associated with a highly dollarized economy. The government control over such shocks is very limited due to loss of control over monetary policy. The proposed introduction of bond notes is a clever but short term solution to an even bigger problem created by the multicurrency system. This is a first step in laying foundations for policies that would potentially give the reserve bank more access to monetary control in the country. The thing with most innovative ideas is that they do go through stages of being ridiculed, discussed and eventually being accepted. People take time to warm up to new ideas and/or anything new. There was even a time when zippers were first introduced on clothes, they were denounced as lures of the devil but today even shoes have zippers.

Business thrives under conditions of certainty and unfortunately that has been lacking in Zimbabwe. To give credit to the RBZ, the Governor has been reassuring the public and working on building confidence in the Zimbabwe economy. The bond notes injection will offer incentives for exporters to become more efficient and productive. Foreign investment follows confidence and stabilisation of the Zimbabwe economy is most likely going to further enhance business confidence. The dialogue on bond notes should continue, the niggling issues and misunderstandings clarified further. When politics and economics clash, there is always one winner and that is economics. It is a long process but politics can initially cloud very good policy initiatives and in the midst of all, aims and objectives may be lost. If only the bond notes issue could be discussed without the associated political noises. The priority is prompt and concrete solutions to the cash scarcity in Zimbabwe. The nearly over 90% circulation of the greenback in Zimbabwe has attracted people from different countries who bring in their goods onto the market. These people are not bringing any value to the Zimbabwe economy, they simply ship out the dollar and we are left with the cash shortages.

bernardbwoni.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 11 May 2016

A national flag hijacked by political pastimes

By Bernard Bwoni

A flag is a national symbol that holds a far deeper meaning and forms the identity of any country. Those five distinct colours that make up the Zimbabwe national flag convey the sacrifices, the struggles, the ideas, the ambitions, values, beliefs, the people, the land and the wealth of the country. The colours on that flag present us with the true definition of the country’s struggles, sacrifices of many, the triumph, the inspiration, the outlook, the hope, the potential and the journey the country embarked on. A traumatic passage to freedom, from the brutality of colonialism to the bitter liberation struggle and that priceless day on 18^th April 1980. It is because of the liberation of Zimbabwe that Zimbabweans can freely raise that flag, wrap it around their bodies and stride with pride in a free Zimbabwe. It is such a pity that some impolitic holy anointed ones in robes are disputing the essence of the flag of Zimbabwe. The call on citizens to “reclaim the national flag” reeks of insincerity and design. The national flag was presented to all Zimbabweans with the ushering in of independence, and as such there is no and will never be any ‘reclamation of the national flag’. The national flag is here and here to stay. These are the usual inconsequential stunts by some individuals who may seek publicity through any means necessary. Those questioning the sacredness of the Zimbabwe national flag are merely misrepresenting it for intended traction. It’s one thing to call this a non-political movement and it is another to start going on romantic dates with politics. To categorically state that the ‘integrity of the national flag has been ‘compromised’ is calculating and crafty. There is no one who can compromise the national flag and there is no one who has sole stewardship of the national flag. So any antics claiming to ‘reclaim the national flag’ should just be dismissed as such.

Making claims that the current economic difficulties affecting the country is the evidence to suggest that the flag has been compromised is borderline wooden. The anointed one is urging people to ‘reclaim the flag’ and the question to the holy one is, from who? This is the same ‘compromised’ flag that is wrapped around his neck as he freely expresses himself in free Zimbabwe. This is a free Zimbabwe and that national flag accords him and any other Zimbabwean that freedom to wear it round the neck, to speak, to walk and associate without fear or favour. If anyone was denied that right to wear that flag and to express themselves freely then that would be a different matter. However, as things stand, this is just another individual in a long line of such individuals. These are the same individuals who go on these idle little protests “campaigning for freedom” yet they are busy freely express themselves. The free Zimbabwe accords them that right and that flag is a symbol of that freedom he is claiming has been compromised. This is the real essence of #OurFlag, this is our national flag and it belongs to each and every Zimbabwean. It is not a toy to derive political pleasure or prospects.

There is nothing wrong with each and every citizen speaking his mind, and challenging the government on policy to make public officials more accountable. That is necessary, that is required and should be encouraged and instilled in our children and generations to come. The duty of every citizen is to question the government and keep public officials on their toes to ensure efficient public service provision. That politics and public office positions are not mere careers but a pledge to serve and a service to the people is clear as crystal. The pressure on government to deliver good and efficient public services is in everyone’s best interests. The citizens of Zimbabwe have that flag of Zimbabwe ‪#‎OurFlag to thank for that freedom to question and bring public officials to account. There is a deeper meaning behind that cloth with the five distinct colours and the Zimbabwe bird. The freedoms that the people of Zimbabwe enjoy today lie beneath those colours and symbols that adorn that cloth. Those questioning the significance of the flag and claiming that the flag has lost its meaning due to perceived or real government flaws are missing the point about the meaning of the flag and potentially using it for own intended traction, be it political or pecuniary. This is a national flag and it does not belong to an individual or any organisation. It belongs to all Zimbabweans and to make ludicrous claims that the Zimbabwe national flag has been compromised is nothing short of an insult and a trample on our national flag. The flag is a national symbol that hold a far more sacred meaning than some budget political activism of the compromised ordained ones.

The meaning behind the flag of Zimbabwe remains today as it will for generations to come and beyond. The patriotic bloodstains of the liberation struggle have left permanent marks over the entire Zimbabwe landscape and ‪those five distinct colours on our national flag. #OurFlag. The people of Zimbabwe and the country’s heritage are enduring features of this land and our national flag fully captures that. The flag represents the peace that was ushered in 1980 and inevitably in a democracy like Zimbabwe there will always be some who take these freedoms and the prevailing peace for granted. The peace and the freedom in Zimbabwe is free for all Zimbabweans to embrace and enjoy, but it was not issued as a complimentary offering. It came at a price that can never be repaid. So those who claim that the meaning behind the flag has been compromised might as well spit on the graves of all those who sacrificed for this country. The meaning behind the flag is neither lost nor compromised, and will never be lost or compromised. The meaning is the deep-rooted deoxyribonucleic acid of the national anatomy. Only lost souls are compromised, not this compound national symbol. This sacred national symbol accords everyone the right to freely express themselves and if the ordained one wants to continue with his petty little thing, then by all means, for that is what our flag guarantee each and every Zimbabwean. The anointed one has that same right as everyone and should not be threatened (he claims he was being threatened) but merely ridiculed. It is unacceptable for this holy man of God or anyone for that matter to be threatened or harmed in any way for freely expressing themselves. Totally unacceptable! He has been accorded that right by our national flag to hold his adorable little exploit and there is no value whatsoever in threatening or harming him. There is no value in threatening or harming anyone period! However, his protest or thing needs to be dissected and dismantled to its bare basics to expose its idleness because that is exactly what it is.

To question and interrogate the government is each citizen’s obligation, but there is no value added in diluting the real meaning of the flag in an unproductive and self-absorbed frolic. The same national flag recognises the rights of the people of Zimbabwe to be free to protest, to have movements and to freely question and bring government and public officials to account. The government of Zimbabwe might have its own flaws like each and every government in this world, but to make that as an argument that the national flag has been undermined is devious. The national flag of Zimbabwe will outlive any individual or organisation, living or yet to be conceived. The only people who are compromising the flag are the consecrate ones who are inappropriately exploiting it to prop up their simplistic political pastime. Individuals can be compromised, organisations can be compromised, but not our national flag. #OurFlag

Twitter: @bernardbwoni

Sunday, 8 May 2016

Bernard Bwoni: Zimbabwe: information strategy will ease public bo...

Bernard Bwoni: Zimbabwe: information strategy will ease public bo...: Bernard Bwoni A pronouncement about the introduction of anything that the public associate with having any resemblance to the domestic cu...

Saturday, 7 May 2016

Zimbabwe: information strategy will ease public bond notes panic

Bernard Bwoni

A pronouncement about the introduction of anything that the public associate with having any resemblance to the domestic currency in Zimbabwe is understandably a painful and anxiety-provoking process. The concern stems from events from that period before 2009 when things spiralled out of control with hyperinflation and shortages. The proposal by the RBZ to introduce new bond notes into circulation is a noble idea being overwhelmed by an avoidable mistrust and uncertain that could easily have been soothed by the availability of adequate and accurate information. The bond notes are not the problem, the idea behind is proper and will potentially attend to some of the difficulties relating to cash shortages affecting the country. It is positive that there are discussions (although mostly panicky reactions which some are referring to as a public backlash) on the proposal to introduce the bond notes. This negative public reaction is a simple case of fear, lack of trust and confidence, and this points to a lack of information. The pronouncement of the proposal is coming at a time when the country is facing serious cash shortages and a number of other economic hardships. There is very limited cash in banks, there is severely reduced forex inflows owing to reduced exports and unrestricted imports into the country. The persistent banking crises point to an unstable demand and supply of money in the financial system; and a multi-currency system that is impacting on the capacity of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to conduct monetary policy. The announcement is coming at a time of crisis and is in response to a crisis. In time of crises, public reassurances through education and information is very important to lessen fears and doubts. Transparency and immediacy are two crucial elements of this strategy to manage the public reactions. In this day of the internet, crisis situations are often framed by social media and media coverage, which means that reporters (and the public on social media) are typically the first audience considered. The advantages of the internet are many and one of them is the capacity to communicate in direct ways with intended audience. The information campaign should start there.

The pronouncement by the RBZ Governor has brought about mixed reactions from the public, at home and abroad. Ideally it would have been helpful to take the critical first steps required for such a major announcement to reassure the public, to ensure that the bond notes were going to be perceived as stable by all stakeholders from the public, business and regional and international parties. It is unhelpful that social media and other media sources are awash with mixed interpretations of the proposal. There are headlines calling the move a ‘reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar by stealth’. There are alarmist headlines that these are similar to the ‘Bearer Cheques’ and some saying that the country was heading back to the period of hyperinflation. The Reserve Bank could have gone on a charm offensive right from the start to build a bank of goodwill with the public. There is more value in having online platforms on social media, newspapers and hotlines to provide information, explanations and clarifications to the public and to the world. It is still not too late to coordinate this public awareness and information strategy in collaboration with representatives from the country’s business sector, financial sector and members of the general public. It good to note that CZI has been forthcoming with encouraging the public to embrace the proposed bond notes as they will boost internal trade and help ease the cash shortage currently affecting the country.

The panic or what is being termed public backlash is being influenced by a lack of the accurate information or the information not being instantly available. The information campaign is about confidence in the proposed notes and instilling confidence in the public. Clarity and consistency will put to rest the public’s fear and mistrust and help build confidence. Armed with the right information or having easy access to the right information, public reactions are likely to be less dramatic. The public education and information campaign should ideally have started on the pronouncement day or even earlier. Terms and meanings needed to be defined and clarified instantly. The introduction is a key and critical national process and information and education make for easier public uptake. There could be leaflets and/or adverts explaining what the bond notes are, their value and what guarantees their value and how they are going to operate alongside the currencies already in use in the country. There should also be clear explanatory notes in a very plain and easy to understand format. There should be a central platform to ask questions and get information. There should be a hotline set up to answer niggling queries that continue to circulate unanswered on the streets, on social media and in local and international media sources. The public is currently relying on very limited, uncoordinated and mostly not very accurate information. Inaccurate information in the sense that news headlines at home and abroad are screaming of the return of the Zimbabwe dollar when in fact that is not true. In critical times like these, the public requires correct and consistent information and reassurances. The many different and disjointed versions of the pronouncement that are doing rounds everywhere will only increase the panic and uncertainty.

The RBZ Governor Dr Mangudya admitted that the policy pronouncement could have been communicated better and rightly so. During a press conference in Harare on Friday 6^th May 2016, the Governor did answer some questions and provided some clarification with authority. He described the proposal as a ‘$200 million economic stimulus to stimulate local production and exports’. He also pointed out that the move to split export proceeds in US dollar, SA rand and euros was meant to remove concentration risk caused by consumer overreliance on US dollar over other currencies in circulation in the multicurrency system. He did well to ease some of the public fears and anxieties, but that has not stopped the social media frenzy that is being stimulated by misconceptions arising from lack of accurate information and the right education campaign. The public information and education campaign needs to be broken to bare basics for easy of understanding, needs to be easily and readily available so that people are not accessing made-up sensational online information. It needs to be visible, like a simple Facebook page managed by RBZ giving precise and accurate information instantly. It could even be a telephone hotline, a Twitter account or even a WhatsApp forum of some sort. It needs to be creative to be able to manage people’s expectations and anxieties to avoid breakdown in communication.

The questions that are posed by people on social media or on the street are genuine questions. These are questions about how such an introduction of the notes is going to affect their lives. They are not trivial questions at all and with a good education and information strategy these can be effectively managed and to some degree help reduce the distress and alarm that is being created by the pronouncement.

Some of the frequently being asked questions:

§ Where else in the world has this been done and has it been successful?

§ Are bond notes a currency or not?

§ How did the RBZ determine the value of the bond notes?

§ If these bond notes are backed by a US$200 million facility from AfreximBank, why not just inject the actual US$200 million into the system?

§ What happens when the US$200 million is finished?

§ Why not back the notes with a Gold Trust?

§ Will the bond notes be redeemable at the bank?

§ What happens if we all want to redeem our US dollars?

§ What happens if I want to travel outside to go and buy things for resale in Zimbabwe? Can I take the bond notes outside or do I need to exchange them?

§ Will I have the option to request to receive US dollars when I want withdraw money?

§ What measures are in place to counter the emergency of the dreaded black market?

§ Is the US$200 million free? If not, then we are adding more onto our huge debt then?

§ What guarantee is there that only US$200 million worth of bond coins will be injected into the system?

§ If the US$200 million bond injection constitutes to less than 3% of the money that will be injected, how is this going to ease the cash problems? Where is the other 97% going to come from?

§ What happens if someone accidentally prints more than the initial US$200 million of the bond notes?

The information that the public currently have or is accessing from social media or the street is mixed and there are also varying interpretations of the above questions. To some the above questions might seem like minor questions but to many that is what is causing the anxiety and panic. These are some of the many questions that are being asked and the outcome is that of the public engaging with and exchanging disjointed and at times inaccurate information. This is where that public education and awareness campaign should take shape. That central platform, that one-stop shop for information and clarification of the proposal to introduce bond notes. Some of the questions have been addressed better than others. Some of the answers and explanations will need to be broken even further to the barest of basics for clarity sake.

The introduction of the bond notes as Dr Mangudya said, the public “should trust that we also know what we are doing, and that we believe that Zimbabwe needs to transform and that this economy needs stimulation, export and production, so where there is no production, the economy will not do well, so we want to ensure that there is production”. Dr Mangudya has been responding to some of the public questions with clarity and this education and awareness campaign needs to be cascaded down into laymen terms. This is the idea behind an information and awareness strategy to reduce the negative publicity that such a noble proposal is receiving.

Twitter: @bernardbwoni

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