Post dictatorship in Zimbabwe – Reasons to drive out donor aid

The assessments of the Zimbabwean government progress in achieving the then Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have always been heavily hinged on the input by foreign development agencies.

Experts are finding an emerging trend of serious gaps between the government’s social welfare strategies and its macro-economic policies. As Zimbabwe inevitably gain traction away from the current dictatorship, the future declarations should be made today that the government’s expediency should be in ruling by consent. The well being of the electorate is the politician’s job, the donor patches the crannies.

The vast expanses of our resources should be enough to even plug any gaps left in government policies in the future. Imagine if the Zanu Pf government had investigated the popular $15 billion that got missing from diamond? It probably would not have been fully recovered but the inquiry would have made future mineral exploitations and transactions work for the needs of ordinary Zimbabweans.

This resonates with many corruption cases being swept under the carpet every day. The inadequacy of government revenue inflows is man-made and perpetuated by lack of political will to put an end to state corruption.

International Economist Dr Dambisa Moyo notes that substantial reliance on foreign aid in emerging democracies has led “governments [to] abdicate their responsibilities”. If Zimbabwe is to reinvent itself as a democracy, politicians have to be chosen on the basis of policy and not on the basis of who brings in more donors.

The post-Mugabe Zimbabwe will hopefully see sustenance in fair exploitation of our own resources and upgrading the country as a fair trading partner in international markets.

One of the pivotal roles of a government is to create and maintain a functional society, most preferably gravitating towards value consensus. Zanu Pf government’s serious failures in this regard have allowed a systematic contentment in allowing foreign governments sending our children to school, building hospitals, roads and bridges and nursing our own sick.

No future government in Zimbabwe should be allowed to delegate its responsibilities to foreign intervention. Foreign aid is only for use but sparingly when there is necessity rather than as a default fixer.

There is inevitably limited commitment donors to see beneficiaries as equals one day. A dividend is more hailed if it goes the way of the benefactor rather than the beneficiary. That is the factual flow of financial transactions.

For that matter, it is better if a government seeks electoral dividend through widening its state social responsibilities than to leave that enterprise to a donor government.

This year we have witnessed Chinamasa continuing a massive budget underfunding in key development ministries. The government has gone below global and continental thresholds and left the welfare of Zimbabweans in the hands of donor aid. Lazy politicians of this nature should be abhorred in the Zimbabwe post Mugabe.

The Zimbabwe of the future ought to be led by communal needs rather than the selfish desires of a president to have weekly dining treats in the Far East. We yearn to flourish at the mercies of our heritage rather than survive at the magnanimity of well-wishers.

Fungayi Mukosera contributes here on his personal capacity and can be contacted on [email protected]