Writing in his weekly column for The Sunday Mail, the
President expressed disquiet at the “sheer lack of creative management” that is
affecting their potential to meaningfully contribute to economic growth and
development.
The lethargic approach to inventiveness and innovation,
including red tape, he said, had resulted in “mounting frustration, impatience
and anger” in Government.
Citing examples of crippling inertia at the Procurement
Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz), Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco)
and the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), President Mnangagwa said the
time had come for leadership at these institutions to face the music.
“On the eve of my departure for Davos, Switzerland, for the
World Economic Forum (WEF), I got a disheartening report pointing to corporate
rot in NSSA,” he said.
“This isn’t the first time Government had got such a
disturbing report; NSSA has been a thorn in our flesh, a pain that will not go
away.
“Why such a cash-rich institution with such a wide remit on
investment possibilities simply decides to stash millions, and abuse no less,
in a country and economy so embattled by both endogenous and exogenous
adversities, no sane human being can ever fathom, least of all those of us in
Government.
“NSSA’s equivalents in various jurisdictions are on the
cutting edge of public investments.
“They determine the national course and direction. Not so
our NSSA here.”
He said while the number of workers paying subscriptions to
NSSA continues to increase, reflecting positive economic growth, this was not
being matched by commensurate public investment by the social security
authority.
NSSA, he added, was giving Government “headaches”, while
also pushing workers into abject misery on retirement.
“The time may have now come for us to re-locate the
headache to where it should be suffered, namely in heads of those begetting
corporate malfeasances, all to our collective detriment.”
He said the operationalisation of the soon-to-be-completed
generators 7 and 8 at the Hwange Thermal Power Station could potentially be
scuppered by procurement regulations prohibiting Government entities from
entering long-term supply contracts.
As a result, coal miners and merchants are uncertain that
they will be able to cope with the exponential demand for coal from the power
stations. He said a fatal lack of foresight at Praz had witnessed the
institution failing to adjust its procurement rules “in anticipation of vital
projects with long gestation periods”.
“Coal miners and merchants require to invest in huge,
costly equipment, both to extract thermal coal and to convey it to the Zesa
station.
“This requires a huge capital outlay, much of it accessed
through borrowing.
“Lenders can only do so on the certainty of viable
contracts which make banking sense.
“Who lends to an operator with a mere year-long supply
contract?
“Which borrower even wants the risk?”
Government, said the President, will immediately change
those regulations, which threaten to cripple a project of vital national
importance.
“The rules governing tenders for coal miners and merchants
must and will be suitably changed to ensure they enable investments required so
coal is supplied in adequate quantities to all the eight generators.
“There has to be prompt movement in that direction, as soon
as yesterday.
“This Government will change those ‘laws’ and rules
attributed to a false corporate Moses who has stood in the way of our
progress.”
Turning to Cottco, he said the company was standing idly by
while peasant cotton farmers are being fleeced of their hard-earned earnings by
merchants buying up all their cotton at extortionately low prices.
However, Government has been deliberately supporting cotton
farmers through an inputs support scheme that has witnessed an embryonic
revival of the sub-sector.
“Those in charge of Cottco must quickly change their ways;
there is no time any longer, certainly no patience in us to suffer their
reprehensible conduct.
“The cotton, after all, by right belongs to Government by
virtue of input support.
“The earnings being stashed abroad belong to this country.
“Government shall have what it is owed; farmers shall be
paid what is overdue to them.
“Above all, the economy will have all its earnings
transparently accounted for by all players, Cottco included.” Sunday Mail
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