MDC-T demands release of full list of RBZ debtors

The Movement for Democratic Change- Tsvangirai has called on Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa to release the full list of debtors of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe whose $1.3 billion debt will be taken over by the government if the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Debt Assumption Bill is passed by Parliament.

The bill has already been approved by the National Assembly and is due for debate in the Senate where it is likely to sail through because the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front controls the upper house.

In a statement today, MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu said Chinamasa had an obligation to tell the nation full details about the RBZ debt because as a lawyer of more than 35 years, he was professionally bound by ethics that compelled him to tell the truth and nothing else but the truth.

The MDC-T failed to stop the passage of the RBZ Debt Assumption bill in the National Assembly and has threatened to take up the case to the Constitutional Court.

“Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, is a senior lawyer of more than 35 years experience.  As a legal practitioner, he is professionally bound by the ethics that guide the conduct of all officers of the court.  Put simply, he is obliged to conduct himself honourably and professionally at all relevant times,” Gutu said in his statement.

“Much as we appreciate that he is a leading member of the collapsing, bankrupt and faction-ridden ZANU-PF regime, he is still obliged to tell the nation the truth and nothing else but the truth at all times. His deliberate and stubborn refusal to disclose the full particulars of all those persons who appear on the list of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe debtors is an extremely deplorable act.”

Gutu said it was also high time people called ZANU-PF to order.

“None but ourselves can set us free. In this very tough world, there is absolutely no free lunch. It doesn’t pay if we continue to be docile and wishing that our problems will somehow, simply disappear. We have to escalate the peaceful and democratic struggle against the debt – ridden, insensitive and corrupt ZANU-PF regime,” he said.

Full statement:

Wednesday, 20 May 2015

 MDC demands the release of the full list of RBZ debtors

As the country’s largest and most popular political party, the MDC is deeply concerned about the general lack of transparency and accountability in the management of public funds and public resources in Zimbabwe.

Recently, the RBZ (Debt Assumption) Bill was rail-roaded and fast-tracked through the National Assembly. It is now just a matter of formality that the same Bill will also be passed by the Senate; thanks to the ill-gotten Zanu PF Parliamentary majority arising from the rigged and stolen July 31, 2013 harmonised elections.

Effectively, the poverty – stricken majority of the people of Zimbabwe are now saddled with a debt of US$1.3 million from which they never benefitted. Within the next few weeks, the toiling and suffering masses of Zimbabwe will also be further burdened with an additional debt in the sum of US$66 million arising from the perennially loss-making and technically insolvent Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (Private) Limited. It goes without saying that the Air Zimbabwe (Private) Limited debt in the sum of US$282 million will also be taken over by the taxpayers.

It is a notorious fact that all the 88 State-owned corporations (parastatals) are thoroughly mismanaged and technically bankrupt. There is, thus, a real possibility that taxpayers will also be taking over the odious and illegitimate debts that have been accrued by the National Railways of Zimbabwe, ZESA Holdings, ARDA, ZUPCO etc.

Finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, is a senior lawyer of more than 35 years experience.  As a legal practitioner, he is professionally bound by the ethics that guide the conduct of all officers of the court.  Put simply, he is obliged to conduct himself honourably and professionally at all relevant times. Much as we appreciate that he is a leading member of the collapsing, bankrupt and faction -ridden Zanu PF regime, he is still obliged to tell the nation the truth and nothing else but the truth at all times. His deliberate and stubborn refusal to disclose the full particulars of all those persons who appear on the list of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe debtors is an extremely deplorable act.

For a lawyer of his stature, the said refusal is also tantamount to an act of serious professional misconduct. For this very reason, the Law of Zimbabwe is called upon to take it upon itself to launch an investigation in order to establish the full reasons why a very senior lawyer in the mould of Patrick Chinamasa would chose to conduct himself in such a dishonourable and unprofessional manner.

After all, lawyers are supposed to be people who always conduct themselves honourably. There is a very strong suspicion that the Minister of Finance himself is on the list of the RBZ debtors. Should this be the case, the matter becomes even more serious and naturally, it would call for his immediate resignation from public office.

Under the tutelage of the corrupt, bankrupt and beleaguered Zanu PF regime,  Zimbabwe has degenerated into a virtual banana republic.  We have an aging and travel-crazy President who occasionally passes through the country as he continues with his endless, but thoroughly purposeless and costly, foreign jamborees.

It is high time that the illegitimate Zanu PF regime is called to order. Everything that can go wrong in the country has since gone wrong. More than seven (7) million Zimbabweans will be in need of urgent food relief within the next few months and this totally clueless and bankrupt regime doesn’t  have a single penny to import the much needed maize and other essential food commodities. The country is on a knife edge.We cannot continue to be a basket case that is largely reliant on food relief from the West and some other such countries. Indeed, we are too rich to be poor.

As the Zimbabwean political and socio-economic crisis enters the homestretch, this is the time for all patriotic Zimbabweans to take a long, hard look at themselves and ask themselves a few tough questions. Is this the government that we deserve? Do we have to continue to take over the illegitimate and odious debts that have never benefitted the majority of the people? Why are the corrupt, lazy and incompetent Zanu PF fat cats getting away with murder?  Do we deserve to be led by an absentee and aged President who spends most of his time aboard an aircraft than at his Munhumutapa Building offices?

None but ourselves can set us free. In this very tough world, there is absolutely no free lunch. It doesn’t pay if we continue to be docile and wishing that our problems will somehow, simply disappear. We have to escalate the peaceful and democratic struggle against the debt – ridden, insensitive and corrupt  Zanu PF regime.

MDC : EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

Obert Chaurura Gutu

National Spokesperson

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