Freedom is the key to economic prosperity

Victorious parties have not been able to adapt politics beyond the struggle. Decades after independence, incumbent governments are increasingly distant from their original support base and show few signs of building plural politics or having any great tolerance for dissent. Liberating movement parties turned out to be very corrupt, human rights abusers, greedy, uncaring and power-hungry.

The ideology of these movements has merely been anti-West and anti-government. On the surface, they pretend to be fighting neo-colonialism, but beneath they are busy plundering their own nations’ resources and crushing political opponents.

There is no full engagement of the people concerned. In most countries we have seen liberation ‘heroes’ staying in power for decades. They taunt the West and praise the East. As long as you speak against the West, you automatically become Russia’s friend, yet Russia has a reputation for vote-rigging and rights abuses. China, while acting as a proponent of these liberation movements, loots African fortunes in connivance with the same leaders. China also does very little to help develop African countries’ infrastructure or help with relief in times of disaster.

This is a reality that most Africans live with and has negatively impacted on our social and economic development. Consequently change is difficult or impossible to achieve with China and Russia propping up these rogue governments. It may well be the largest political scam in human history!

The lesson of Cuba

Cubans are just slowly beginning to breathe some air of freedom, but they have been fighting very hard and for so long for it. When Cuba eliminated all private rights by collectivisation of all land and by a complete nationalisation of private enterprises, the very fundamentals of economic development were destroyed. Fidel Castro also created a one-party government to exercise dictatorial control over all aspects of Cuba’s political and economic and cultural life. Civil and personal liberties vanished under the communist regime whilst Castro dragged the whole nation on a course of destructive economic policy.

The result was food shortage, land depletion and massive emigration. Before the revolution in 1959, Cuba enjoyed the status of one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America known for high level of judicial independence and a strong protector of property rights.

In all these cases, people are heavily oppressed and incorrectly think power may be given them on a silver platter. But as long as the leaders are looting and living large they will never relinquish power. People should peacefully demand this power, working together with a unity of purpose.

After World War Two, South Korea divided from North Korea along the 38th parallel. Unified Korea was all about rapid agriculture and industrial activity – the two biggest indicators of robust economic growth. The North adopted a very tightly controlled political economy along with gruesome human rights abuses. Three successive leaders all came from the same family line. The South pursued total freedom and full engagement of the entire populace in the decision-making process, coupled with a free market economy.

“The people are now afraid of the government whereas the government should be afraid of the people. The cart is pulling the horses.”

The results, 70 years down the line, clearly show the successes and failures of each approach. The central planning of North Korea delayed and hampered economic growth, dramatically increased DPRK’s trade deficit and accrued a sizeable debt. This deep slump economy has put North Koreans far behind their South counterparts.

Night satellite images of both countries show a well-lit South Korea alongside a dark North.

Land grab chaos

In Zimbabwe, Zanu (PF) is going down the same road. Land was grabbed from white farmers without an assessment of the possible impacts. The process was rapid, chaotic and ruthless and led to a lack of new investment and a huge decline in farm output. Zanu (PF) carried the land reform the pirate’s way and failed to understand the simple interdependence between agriculture and industry.

This ad hoc land reform negatively impacted on the economy in a profound way. The economy collapsed. Zimbabwean industry, which was agriculture-driven, shrank by about 60 per cent. Unemployment rose to ultimately reach 80 per cent – and continues to rise.

The consequences are dire and surprising even to Zanu (PF) itself. Sadly the Zanu (PF) elite are not the ones who bear these consequences. They parcel out the misery to the hostages – the people of Zimbabwe.

Zanu (PF) did not learn from its past mistakes or from those of other countries cited above. It went on to further destabilise the little that was left of industry through a law that will give Zimbabweans the right to take over and control many foreign-owned companies. This law was passed in 2007 by President Mugabe’s party. The majority of people are not behind this legislation because they see it as disastrous and only of benefit to a small elite, particularly those high in the Zanu (PF) echelons.

That link between economic prosperity and freedom of the people is fully understood by the Zanu (PF) party, but it has deliberately chosen to ignore it. The people of Zimbabwe are the owners of the country, employed a government to manage its affairs and, ideally, could fire it. But, the Zanu (PF) government has refused a number of times to be fired.

Now a situation has developed where the employee Zanu (PF) acts like the employer. The people are now afraid of the government whereas the government should be afraid of the people. The cart is pulling the horses.

As a result we are experiencing decay in Zimbabwe. Roads are ruined, cities are running dry, garbage is not being collected, education and health delivery systems have totally collapsed and the people are scared to ask the government because the government employs brutal means to silence the people.

The people of Zimbabwe have tried to rely on SADC to solve the Zimbabwean crisis but have not clearly analysed the fact that SADC is largely composed of the liberation movement governments who are failing their own people. The people of Zimbabwe cannot continue to ignore these irregularities and must make sure that the adamant and arrogant Zanu (PF) is shown the exit, for it has indeed overstayed its usefulness.

Zanda Shumba is an independent observer and can be contacted at zekishumba@gmail.com.