By Fungi Kwaramba
President Robert Mugabe — like the majority of Zimbabweans who told pollsters that they fear criticising him — is also scared of the future, former Finance minister Simba Makoni has said.
This comes after the Mass Public Opinion Institute (Mpoi) revealed in its latest survey that 62 percent of Zimbabweans are not free to critic the long-time Zimbabwe ruler.
Makoni — brought in as Finance minister in 2000 to restore donor relations but was sacked 18 months later after calling for a devaluation of the subdued Zimbabwe dollar — said on Twitter: “Everybody, including Mugabe himself, lives in fear”.
“The country abandoned its own currency, and now has run completely out of money,” he said, as he responded to Mugabe’s recent outlandish claim that Zimbabwe is not a fragile State.
The nonagenarian claimed at the World Economic Forum in SA last week that in terms of development, Zimbabwe is second only to South Africa on the continent.
“By contrast, we are now the poorest in Africa, with $200/capita/year income, 90 percent + formal unemployment,” Makoni argued.
He said the economy was collapsing.
“Government can’t pay its workers. Hospitals and schools are sustained by donors. We have the highest ratio of graduate informal traders in the world,” Makoni tweeted.
“Up to 1/3 (one third) of the population are economic refugees.”
It is estimated that approximately three million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa, many of them illegally.
“Public infrastructure is decrepit and dysfunctional. National roads are pot-holed. For nearly 20 years, people who fed themselves before, have survived on food aid. The economy shrank to 40 percent of its size in 10 years,” he said.
With a PhD in chemistry, Makoni said Zimbabweans have to collectively share the blame for allowing one man to determine their future.
“However, we, the people, need to accept our share of responsibility for this situation, letting Mugabe and his henchmen to destroy our country.
“Those, like me, who shared, and those still sharing leadership with him, must accept greater responsibility, for complicity or acquiescence . . .We must resolve to ‘liberate ourselves’. Let’s ride out of the fear Mugabe and his system have instilled in us.
“Then, let’s unite honestly around the common purpose and common good, to restore our dignity, esteem, freedoms and self- reliance,” said Makoni.
Despite his years of service in Zanu PF, Makoni is now described as a “traitor” and “western puppet” by Mugabe and his allies. Daily News
