I wrote this short article way back and never thought much about sharing it but it seems if we do not speak our minds to the leaders in government they will continue on this path that leads us into oblivion.

 So I made up my mind to voice my concerns about the misplaced priorities my government seems to display time and again. Two issues published by different media houses this sometime ago caught my attention and i couldn’t let them go just like that. The first issue being, a deal signed by the government of Zimbabwe together with the Chinese government to provide a loan of US $98m to fund the construction of spy center. I have no qualms against the Chinese government helping Zimbabwe; we have to get all the help we can get, from anywhere it comes. It should not be our place to fight western wars against the east; neither should we be used by the east to fight the west. Zimbabwe should be sovereign as the zanu pf mantra   says. The Chinese gave us a loan that we have to repay at some point in time but all the construction is to be done by the Chinese firms. Do we not have our own local construction companies, what happened to indigenization? Most importantly is that the best use of $98m we can come up with? Or maybe the Chinese would not be willing to extend the $98m for some better use. it struck me that the Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Welshman Ncube had only $5m to offer loans to small and medium enterprises. If we are to have an economic turnaround the solution has be home grown and one such solution is the promotion of small to medium sized businesses. One doesn’t have to be intelligent to see that there is clearly a disparity in our thinking, a clear show of our shortcomings as a nation to prioritize the few resources we have or we get.     

I do not know what goes around in cabinet meetings but I am now convinced beyond words that politics is just about selfish gain , selfish motives, it is never about the people okay that maybe too exaggerated or is it, I wonder. If you disagree with me then explain to me how on earth, the cabinet can approve a $20 million expenditure on vehicles for top government officials in the sea of poverty that I see in Zimbabwe. Well this is the second issue. I am just trying to imagine what $20 million can do in terms of infrastructure development at tertiary institutions in this country. To some $20 million is just not that much to make a big fuss about but to me an ordinary Zimbabwean this amount is gigantic, I Know how much family struggled to pay $700 for my young brother to go to University and believe you me I know of people who are in worse financial situation than family, I shudder to think what they go through to pay for fees for their kids.  The health sector is heavily funded by donors but we have money to buy cars , Local councils are funded by donors outside the country to buy chemicals for water treatment and the amount is not enough hence the water shortages in the most urban areas and people can think of buying luxurious cars.

Okay If we had to buy cars why couldn’t we buy from our local car assembly, we have a car assembly that is almost crumbling. Our economy should be our priority, What does indigenization mean when at every opportunity we want to buy things abroad. Basic economics tells us of the multiplier effect of this injection of $20million can do our economy. A few years ago the government through the reserve bank governor came up with brilliant policy on import substitution to promote local industry, what happened to such policy. It’s no point in coming up with a good policy and execute it half heartedly.

We place higher priority to those things we perceive to be more important, the government of the day which is led by His Excellency commander in chief, first secretary cde Mugabe this week clearly showed us misplaced priorities. The government should have learned by now that they can do anything, but they can't do everything... at least not at the same time. The government’s priorities are not in terms of what activities it has to do, but when to do them, timing is of the essence.

Actions express priorities and they should always reflect on the values and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe, we deserve better.