Is Mugabe playing a lone wolf?

Kadoma Central Member of Parliament Fani Phiri has called on all legislators, including those from the opposition, to rally behind President Robert Mugabe’s 10-point plan to turn around the country which he announced in his State of the Nation Address in August.

“As legislators, when we go out, let us be with the President. Even the opposition, you must from today go out of the country and denounce sanctions because the people are suffering out there because of you. But, when you come here, you want to behave as though everything is normal….. The Leader of these people has said before tongai tione, they have said that. Do we trust them when they come here and speak flowery language?” he said in his contribution to SONA.

“From today, we want to support the President. He has given us the ten points and we need to support him. He cannot go it alone. Those who are not for it must go.”

Phiri accused Mugabe’s lieutenants of letting him down saying Mugabe was doing his job but his lieutenants were not.

“I also want to thank the President for the 10 points that he brought to this House. However, my question is, are we together with the President on the 10 points? The Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive. Are we together or the President is playing a lone wolf? The President is playing by himself. My apologies on that.

“I think there is somebody who is not doing his job. The President is doing his job but the Executive is not doing its job. The President has been voted many times because the people have confidence in him, but what is the Executive doing?

“In agriculture, we have seen that a lot of tractors came in and recently Brazil brought in irrigation material. Has the Executive distributed these fairly? The President is always talking about feeding the people but we are not promoting peri-urban farming. The President is playing on his own. He talks to the people and promises the people but the Executive is not doing its job.”

Phiri also said very little was being done to curb corruption because those exposed as being corrupt were not arrested and when arrested only minor charges were levelled against them.

“On corruption, we find corrupt people standing before the people and addressing them. All those we think are corrupt should not be allowed to stand before the people and address them because they are a mockery to the country,” he said.

Full contribution:

MR. PHIRI: Thank you Madam Speaker. My contribution to this is going to be very short; I want to thank Hon. Mhlanga for a well prepared speech. I also want to thank the President for the 10 points that he brought to this House. However, my question is, are we together with the President on the 10 points? The Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive. Are we together or the President is playing a lone wolf?-[Laughter]- The President is playing by himself. My apologies on that. I think there is somebody who is not doing his job. The President is doing his job but the Executive is not doing its job. The President has been voted many times because the people have confidence in him, but what is the Executive doing? In agriculture, we have seen that a lot of tractors came in and recently Brazil brought in irrigation material. Has the Executive distributed these fairly? The President is always talking about feeding the people but we are not promoting peri-urban farming. The President is playing on his own. He talks to the people and promises the people but the Executive is not doing its job.

We need the peri-urban farms to be capacitated. We need to feed the urban people. I had a visit to South Korea the other year. The peri-urban farms are well capacitated. People feed themselves. Are we doing  this? No. State Enterprises Madam Speaker, time and again the Auditor General brings in statements of audit about money that is missing, but are these people arrested? If they are arrested, you find that the charges are preferred charges. As we go along, they appeal and are released from jail. The charges are not strong enough. On corruption, we find corrupt people standing before the people and addressing them. All those we think are corrupt should not be allowed to stand before the people and address them because they are a mockery to the country.

There is a lot of nepotism. Let us have an individual audit on people. Where did the people get the money that they beautiful cars and houses, yet the rest of the people are not getting enough food? In my constituency of Kadoma Central, people are using communal toilets. They have dilapidated houses, why? Let us capacitate the local authorities. Right now, the local authorities are a missing link in the economic growth, but you are not capacitating them. That is where the investment takes place, in the local authorities. Are we giving them money so that they do the roads, provide water, build houses and make roads in the industrial areas? But, the President is always coming up here telling the people that the Executive is going to do this and that, but the Executive is not doing it. -[Inaudible interjections]-

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order, order.

MR. PHIRI: Madam Speaker these CEOs who are in State Enterprises, some of them have overstayed. I have already said local authorities have unfunded mandates in health. We gave them clinics, let us give them the money so that they pay the nurses and buy the drugs. We gave them primary schools, let us give them money so that they build more primary schools. I said I am going to be very brief but once again, I want to say let us help the President.

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Hon. Member please address the Speaker.

MR. PHIRI: As legislators, when we go out, let us be with the President. Even the opposition, you must from today go out of the country and denounce sanctions, –[HON MEMBERS: Laughter]- because the people are suffering out there because of you. But, when you come here, you want to behave as though everything is normal. Madam Speaker, I need your protection. The Leader of these people has said before tongai tione, they have said that. Do we trust them when they come here and speak flowery language? I am saying as from today…

THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order hon. members. Can the hon. member be heard in silence?

MR. PHIRI: From today, we want to support the President. He has given us the ten points and we need to support him. He cannot go it alone. Those who are not for it must go. Thank you Madam Speaker.

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