Wanted in 2014: good governance

Following the installation of the current cabinet after the disputed elections, there was widespread trepidation among Zimbabweans regarding the future. There are numerous signs that the future will be gloomy for most of us if the government does not take quick and decisive action.

The most telling signal of a dark future is the economy. As the year draws to a close, we are worried by the rate at which companies are folding or downsizing. As the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions recently revealed, about 350 companies are closing every month, and at this rate, we will be left with no operating firm in a year – despite the gains made during the GNU.

Banks have started closing again, taking us back down the dark memory lanes of the time before the establishment of the GNU. Anywhere in the world, the closure of banks is a bad omen as it essentially reflects upon an economy that is limping. Add to this the fact that there is already an obvious liquidity crunch.

Obviously, the closure of companies leads to greater poverty among the people, as it comes with massive retrenchments and the loss of household income. This inevitably spawns misery and strife among the people and casts Zimbabwe in bad light in the eyes of the international community. As it stands, the country is struggling to raise lines of credits with other governments and international financial institutions, but no-one is prepared to give to a government that does not demonstrate an ability to repay loans or other forms of credit.

Added to this, social services delivery is worsening. Recently, Human Rights Watch warned in a report that water scarcity was so bad that Zimbabwe could relapse into a cholera and water borne disease outbreak similar to the one we suffered between 2008 and 2009. Power is also critically short, affecting not only hospitals but industry and farming as well. Given the sporadic rains so far, the country might be headed for yet another disastrous farming season, compounded by limited and late access to vital inputs.

Considering these and many other challenges facing us, we need a government to act with haste and in good faith – to put partisan politics aside and look at effective and practical ways of rescuing the economy.