I really don't think Zimbabweans realise the size of their
problems. Over 80% of our legislators and over 80% of our people
think that over 80% of the MP's job is to provide donations, bought or sourced.
We also believe a key source of national functionality are
donors: it has become a STANDARD feature on candidates' election manifestos.The job of the political leaders is to make sure that
neither the country nor its citizens look forward to donations as the way of
life.
Our elected representatives must concentrate on getting the
country revived to function so that Zim organisations and Zim citizens thrive. I don't consider many MPs to be wealthy at all (in fact
many are in the job for survival - not service).
They cannot therefore
be expected to personally subsidise national financial failures in their
individual capacities.
It can't work - there is no such financial model of 300
legislators buying food hampers for millions of people every so often (or is it
just enough people enough times for the
cameras and social media?).
Why don't they just do that without being elected as MPs? Zimbabwe is a big case study on how things should NOT be
done.We buy over 500 cars for MPs, Senators and Chiefs.
No ambulances No Police Cars - almost zero countrywide.
Which is why it becomes big news and a full Presidential
function (with both his VPs in tow) to receive ONE donated ambulance and for 2
cabinet ministers to receive a donated fridge.
At my golf society this entire task (from sourcing to
handover of an ambulance for charity) is allocated to the Vice-Captain and we
are told once a year.
Back to the cars.
Let us assume the MP cars cost 60k USD each, so the 500
people's servants gobble 30m USD. I would give each of these "honourables" a
maximum of 10k USD and a duty-free car import certificate and save millions.
I am not talking of something difficult to do. It is exactly the same model I proposed for my own station
of service when I was Mayor of the capital.
Budgeting 200k USD for mayoral S-Class Mercedes for a broke municipality!
My successor at Town
House and I have, so far, just used council pool cars for 7 years and we
arrived at our destinations - busier than all MPs and Chiefs. Street talk is that the capital city's nine suburban police
stations are served by one old car - all of them.
The country's management needs to be out sourced!
We have lost the people. Ben Manyenyeni is former Harare Mayor writing on Facebook
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