Mutare’s death, a resource curse or just poor governance?

By Itai Zimunya

Mutare is widely cited as Zimbabwe’s fifth largest city in Zimbabwe, but by budget value, it ranks sixth after Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Gweru and Kwekwe.

In 1980, it was the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe. The question is- why has Mutare fallen in both beauty and stature? This article seeks to untangle the possible socio-economic and political combinations responsible for that city’s demise.

The city of Mutare has an estimated population of 300,000 and is now known as the city of diamonds as both Marange and Chimanimani produce more than 75% of Zimbabwe’s diamond quantum.

Fruits like banana’s, litchi and avocado among others are produced in its environs. Rolling mountains with spectacular views, fertile lands and the sea-port that links with Beira is located there as well. The total value of production that takes place in its environs easily tops $1billion per annum.

Amidst all this splendour, the city of Mutare proposed a shockingly shallow budget of $18.6million for the year 2013. There is a paradox here and several questions need to be asked. To demonstrate how shallow the City of Mutare’s 2013 budget is, it is better to use a comparative analysis with other economic transactions.

Dr Obert Mpofu, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development bought a bank, the ZABG allegedly for $24million dollars meaning he is more liquid than a whole city.

How can a provincial capital whose geography contributes $1billion to the national developmental matrix only get $18.6million to service it? From a pedestal perspective, one may ask where the $980million that Manicaland generates goes to?

Is it an effect of sanctions, looting or a result of poor developmental policy frameworks?

This article seeks to focus on Manicaland and Mutare in particular to display how the capital city centric developmental model has weakened Zimbabwe. In addition, the paper will also proffer alternatives of managing fair growth at a national level.

Firstly, to understand this debate, it is important to state some historical and socio-economic facts on the role of Manicaland to national development. We have the liberty to substitute Mutare with the province of Manicaland since Mutare is the capital city of that province.

The first black female student at the University of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) Sarah Kachingwe nee Chavhunduka was born in Manicaland. Zimbabwe’s first black medical doctor Dr Tichafa Parirenyatwa who was Zapu’s vice President was born in Manicaland. He was killed outside Gweru, in 1962 at the age of 35 years.

The former Zanu PF Chairman and first black lawyer Hebert Pfumaindini Chitepo was born in Manicaland. The first robotics Professor in Zimbabwe, Arthur Mutambara was born in Manicaland. One of the most celebrated post independent students at the University of Zimbabwe – Prof Lovemore Madhuku is from Manicaland.

The first person to defeat Robert Mugabe in a national election, Morgan Tsvangirai was born in Buhera. The best three schools in the 2011 examination survey are in Manicaland, Kriste Mambo, St Faiths and Marist Nyanga.

The highest mountain in Zimbabwe is in Manicaland. Mugabe crossed into Mozambique for the liberation struggle through Manicaland. One of the biggest Zapu rallies addressed by the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo was at Sakubva Stadium in Mutare. Mutare has the most naturally pure and healthy water in Zimbabwe, among other endowments.

That province’s people also suffered immensely during and post the liberation struggle due to its long frontier with Mozambique from Gaza in the South to Tete in the north. As late as 1987, security was an issue as apartheid South Africa sponsored cross –border raids targeting villages along the border with livestock, women and girls emerging the biggest victims.

But is not all glory from that province. People like Tobaiwa Mudede, the failed Registra general of Zimbabwe and architect of diesel at Chinhoyi is from that province as well. He for some reason believes that passports and or birth certificates are his private assets for which people must pray to get.

The famous Nyati who sold out at Chimoio is from Manicaland. Manicaland is affected by climate change as its southern districts Buhera, Mutare west, Chipinge south and Chimanimani west are now perennial food deficit areas and becoming more arid at a worrying rate.

On the contrary, Manicaland has no state university. The city only enjoys $20million of the estimated $1billion its environs generate every year. Mutare and much of Manicaland are often serviced by Mozambican radio stations.

None of the diamond mining companies in Marange and Chimanimani have head-offices in Mutare. The big Russian and South African owned gold mining companies in Manicaland have offices in Harare. Tea and timber companies relocated their offices to Harare.

The province has indeed fallen from grace.

Since independence in 1980, at least five prominent leaders from Manicaland challenged Robert Mugabe for state presidency. These include, and not in any order, Rev Ndabaningi Sithole, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Dr Simba Makoni, Edgar Tekere and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Out of Matabeleland, Manicaland and precisely Mutare central and Chipinge constituencies have been traditional anti-Zanu PF constituencies.

Is Manicaland’s cursing a result of this perpetual opposition to Mugabe both within and out of Zanu PF?

The diamond cutting training industry, though private is being proposed for Mashonaland West province. The fasted aerodrome ever constructed in Zimbabwe after 1980 was built in Marange, to fly out diamonds to Harare for sale as soon as they are mined.

Villagers are left to content with the silting and poisoned waters of the Mutare, Odzi and Save Rivers. And the people are told to keep quiet to this shameless marginalisation which is equal if not worse than Ian Smith’s colonial socio-economic projects.

The fuel refinery at Feruka was closed as the fuel hub was transferred to Harare through the fuel pipeline. Feruka, once a thriving firm now lie dead and obsolete now. The country lost a chance to import crude oil from Angola, Mozambique or elsewhere and refine its own fuel all for wanting to “Hararenise” everything.

The Basil Nyabadza led Chisumbanje ethanol project in southern Manicaland is an epitome of corruption which is more of a national threat than a benefit. How can ethanol juice from sugarcane, irrigated by free flowing water from the Odzi River and farmed on state land cost more than $1 per litre when elsewhere it costs less than 50cents per litre?

We need both the fuel and the jobs bar the corrupt and cunning management that wants parliament to make it mandatory for every Zimbabwean to pay for their inefficiencies.

What makes this discussion interesting is the fierce refusal for decentralisation by some in Zanu PF, often wrongly arguing that it would weaken or split Zimbabwe.

How do ex-Manicaland people in the political leadership of Zimbabwe like Martin Chedondo, Didymus Mutasa, Happyton Bonyongwe, Patrick Chinamasa, Oppah Muchinguri, Godwin Matanga, Arthur Mutambara and Morgan Tsvangirai among others engage the developmental question of Zimbabwe when its collapsed parts are causing the mayhem that Harare’s housing, water, traffic and school pressures display?

The story of Mutare is similar to Matabeleland and other provinces whose industries and civilisations are either moving to Harare or closing.

The glory of Marist Dete, Minda, Hope Fountain, Chegato, Lerato, Phakame, Mt Selinda, St Anthony’s, St Augustine’s, Old Mutare, Solusi and Gokomere is now history now. From the Cabinet perspective, we are told the problem is sanctions from America and Europe.

It is important to subject this “sanctions” rhetoric and easily repeated scapegoat to further surgery.

What have sanctions to do when the whole lot of timber plantations in Chimanimani and Nyanga are burnt by untouchable people hunting baboons and rabbits for meat with false claims of being war veterans? What is the correlation between being a war veteran and burning $1billion worthy of timber plantations for baboon meat?

Zimbabwe now imports opinions and other fresh produce like bananas, oranges, mangoes, beans (fresh and dried) from South Africa when the estates of Manica valley can easily produce these at lower cost. With the demise of the Nyanga and Chimanimani timber plantations, very soon the cost of housing will rise as we import timber from Swaziland, South Africa and possibly Europe.

All this happens in the name of guarding our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. I argue that making the country a net importer is the worst example of weakening any nation state. Importing beans, onions, maize and even water weakens a country’s sovereignty and makes its integrity vulnerable to the mercy of the exporting countries.

Is it not ironic that the main prophets of sanctions, President Mugabe and his then motor-mouthed Junior Minister Jonathan Moyo targeted two Zimbabwean owned farms Charlsewood and Kondozi for acquisition despite their high levels of production and employment? The problem with the farm owners, former Member of Parliament Roy Bennett and De Klerk is that they are white Zimbabweans and supported the MDC.

In 2002-4, Kondozi was easily the biggest employing and most productive farm in Zimbabwe, with a peak of 10,000 people per day. It was closed at Mugabe’s declaration, taken over and now buried by Christopher Mushohwe, the current illegitimate Manicaland governor.

Charleswood was allegedly indigenised, from what they call “an unrepentant white Zimbabwean-Rhodie Roy Bennett” to some unknown white Russian-Russians. Mugabe and Zanu PF want us to believe that the Russians mining gold and diamond at Charleswood are more Zimbabwean and patriotic that Roy Bennett. The issue of race, gender and ethnicity in our policy process needs attention. It shall be discussed some other day.

Manicaland Governor Chris Mushohwe took over Kondozi Farm, now called Beverley Hills. The farm has sunk from its production and employment glory to what the real Beverley Hills is not known for- gold panning, illicit beer (kachasu) brewing and dust.

The devolution debate is not about Matabeleland as many want to falsely suggest.

It is our duty to build a strong and vibrant state whose parts are strong to make the centre even much stronger. The management of Harare and its sunshine status will forever be elusive if people continue to migrate from across the provinces to look for opportunities there.

From a political perspective, it is sad to note that the many people who sit in various state and private institutions continue to miss the efficacy of this developmental paradigm. In the aftermath of the US election, it is important to note that their federal state framework gives its many states the chance to flourish and develop the sum of which makes that country better.

The leadership vacuum in the Zimbabwe’s parts has to be filled. Dr Muzenda was better for his Gutu area as his annual Marathon is keeping Gutu relevant. That is the challenge as we go to the next election. Politicians both in Zanu PF and the MDC must know that people are getting wiser- and will not be taken for granted anymore.

It is neither about race nor ethnicity but all to do with local development, which Minister Ignatius Chombo has largely destroyed. It is also not about super rich people who declare themselves gods like Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, who assumes he is the king (small k) of Matabeleland. It is about equal opportunities and happiness of the people, irrespective of whether the King of Matabeleland is White, Nambya, Tonga or Kalanga.

The issue is also way beyond politics. Development must be for all not for the MDC, Zanu PF or whichever political party.

Mutare will surely rise again!

Itai Zimunya, is a Mutare based socio-economist. He can be contacted at [email protected]