The Zimbabwean
9 Feb 2010
Written by Frazer Muzondo
When President Robert Mugabe allocated the ministries between his party and the MDC upon formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), he had only one thing on his mind. He wanted Zanu (PF) to maintain its grip on power so that it could continue to abuse its position for self gain. He gave the MDC those portfolios that were as good as dead and tasked them with clearing up the mess made by his incompetent ministers. He expected the MDC to fail to deliver so that people would blame them. In this new series, FRAZER MUZONDO analyses just what has happened during the first year.
Health
When people look at the Ministry of Health, now under the guidance of Henry Madzorera, compared to what it had become under the leadership of David Parirenyatwa during the tenure of the Zanu (PF) government, there is a huge difference that an ordinary person on the street can notice. The people of Zimbabwe can now talk of Harare Central Hospital (Pagomo) and Parirenyatwa Hospital and other provincial hospitals. These hospitals were virtually defunct, but now people are happy to have their relatives admitted at these government hospitals as they are assured of getting some form of medical care. Patients can now choose what food they want to eat and no longer need to bring their own hospital bedding or food. Patients no longer need to bring basic items such as gloves from home for medical staff to use when attending to them. Basic items in the hospitals also include doctors and nurses. These had disappeared during the Zanu (PF) government, but now they have been lured back to do the jobs they love to do.
Justice
The Ministry of Justice is still under a member of the old guard, Patrick Chinamasa, who, despite having lost the right to represent the people of Makoni, managed to retain his ministerial portfolio because he is a trusted lieutenant of Mugabe’s. Chinamasa managed to recruit the controversial Johannes Tomana as the Attorney General. With the help of Gideon Gono, the ministry has managed to buy luxury cars, plasma televisions and other goodies for the high court and supreme court judges as a thank you for the `good job` they are doing to keep MDC activists in custody. Magistrates who preside and rule in favour of opposition activists are intimidated. Court officials who process approved bail applications for opposition activists without consultation with Tomana and Chinamasa are fired.
Hundreds of MDC supporters have been killed, thousands have been raped, kidnapped and assaulted, tens of thousands tortured, but none of the Zanu (PF) perpetrators have been brought to justice.
And one of Tomana and Chinamasa`s greatest achievements in the eyes of their master is to keep Roy Bennett out of the government job he was appointed to do.
Education
The Ministry of Education is now under the leadership of David Coltart, an MDC legislator. The majority of schools had been closed during the tenure of headman Chigwedere and most teachers had left their jobs as they couldn’t afford to commute to their place of work. Most schools are now functional, with teachers back at work and children back to learn. When the minister took over, the exams that had been written the previous year had not been marked. They were marked and the results were released – although the exams were written under the supervision of Zanu (PF) youth militias. The ministry through its own audit has managed to remove these thugs off the teachers` payroll. Zanu (PF) was threatening the entire generation with illiteracy, because they know that knowledge is power so they were attempting to create a nation of illiterate people. The people of Zimbabwe are saying no to this, education is a right not a privilege.
Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture also under the old guard, in the person of Joseph Made. The ministry has done nothing to get the backbone of the economy back on track. Instead they have watched and encouraged more chaos on the few remaining productive farms. Since the formation of the GNU, the Zanu (PF) hardliners have intensified invasion of white owned commercial farms, disrupting productive commercial farming. So-called war veterans, army chiefs and Zanu (PF) bigwigs have grabbed more farms for themselves. More offer letters have been given out, evicting more white farmers and making more farm workers destitute. The ministry has done nothing to address the situation where farm workers are working for little or no pay on the farms acquired by the grabbers. The ministry has done nothing to improve the sector and make the country self-sufficient.
The nation shall remain an importer of all agricultural products for a long time to come unless the agricultural sector embarks on a seriously managed agrarian reform. Made is better off managing Mugabe`s farms than continuing to watch this mess continue while the country sinks deeper into poverty and continues to beg.
– Next week this analysis will cover the ministries of finance, youth, home affairs and defence.