Mlondolozi Ndlovu
The year 2015 has been horrible for most ordinary Zimbabweans but they should brace for more trouble in the upcoming year since the economic crisis that the country is facing will escalate, opposition political parties and a prominent analyst has warned.
In a year which has seen the country facing a myriad of challenges which range from over 30000 people losing their job, liquidity crunch, closure of companies and the unending succession crisis which has sharply divided the ruling party, opposition parties said 2016 year will not be better in any way.
Speaking at a public meeting organized by local research think tank, Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) MDC-T Spokesperson ObertGutu said Zimbabweans should not expect much from Zanu PF government saying 2016 won’t be ‘rosy’.
“ With the ghost of violence resurfacing towards the end of the years where members of the MDC T were assaulted by police, I don’t want to sound like a prophet of doom but it does not look rosy for 2016” he said.
Gutu further highlighted that the economic blue print the Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-economic Transformation (ZIMASSET) was a mere ‘a paper tiger’ with no tangible results and wont achieve anything for the distressed Zimbabweans.
“ZIMASSET has so far failed to yield any results. The economy is going to be worse off in 2016 than it has been in 2015. Look at the 13 mega deals signed by the government nothing has materialized” said the MDC spokesperson.
Also speaking at the same event the People Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume lamented the rise of religiosity in Zimbabwean society saying it has led to people linking all their achievements to ‘miracles’.
“The year 2015 has seen the emergency of spiritualism disguised as Christianity. Companies are liquidity, shops are clownish and the fall of the rand makes things even worse for the majority who depend on relatives who are in South Africa. 2016 will be worse, we can only hope for ‘miracle’ peace” he said
Political analyst Takura Zhangazha said 2015 will be remembered as year in which the country was ‘sold out’ to the market.
“We will remember the year 2015 as a year in which our country was put for sell through the introduction of a free market. When the
President said we want to make the easy of doing business, he meant that the country will go through privatization. They no longer care about the people but business” he said.
Zhangazha said for 2016 and beyond to be much better Zimbabwean opposition leaders much let love lead in the fight to end inequality and poverty that is facing the country.
“If anything all of us must heed that famous quotation from the global revolutionary icon, Che Guevara who once said, ‘at the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality.’ It is democratic love for our people and our country that will move us toward a better 2016 and a social democratic future” he said.
The event organized by MPOI was under the topic ‘the Ups and Downs of 2015 and a prognosis for 2016’ and was attended by academics, civil society members and journalists.
