Given the state of our economy, the current model for Indigenisation cannot help but appear to be another political project that plays on the poverty and disenfranchisement of millions of Zimbabweans but in effect will only benefit a few.

Speaking in an interview with the state media Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Gono says
“It has to be realised that not everybody can fit or benefit from the equity-ownership model we are pursuing. Only a few will and that’s a fact.”

One has to wonder what exactly the agenda is behind the programme. It is no secret that the Minister responsible for the programme is a business man himself, neither is it a secret that our Ministers have used other such programmes to amass vast wealth at the expense of the ordinary Zimbabwean.

There are far too many young people with brilliant ideas who lack the capital to finance their enterprises. There are even more who are frustrated by unemployment and poverty. It is this generation that runs riotously through the streets demanding that foreign owned property and companies be given to Zimbabweans. While for now they might have been persuaded to riot in aid of the Minister of Indigenisation’s cause, it is only a matter of time before they turn on a government that is failing them.

If we are to carry out indigenisation then it must be transparent and it truly must benefit all Zimbabweans.  Indigenisation should not be limited to the expropriation of shares from the few companies that have survived the economic roller coaster of the last decade. Empowerment must be looked at holistically. Rather than simply dividing up an economic cake that is becoming smaller every day, let us consider ways in which we can add to it and create wealth. We cannot continue to brag about Zimbabwe’s vast mineral wealth and human capital without having Zimbabweans at the forefront of exploiting these resources for Zimbabwe’s gain.

This entry was posted on June 3rd, 2011 at 3:09 pm by Upenyu Makoni-Muchemwa and is filed under Economy, Governance, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.