A distinguished technocrat and an accomplished academic
with vast global experience and numerous accolades, Prof Ncube took many by
surprise when he joined the Government in 2018 to become the Treasury boss.
Very few had imagined the Mathematical Finance Professor
becoming a full-time politician until his appointment as deputy finance
secretary in the Zanu-PF Politburo last year in December.
He was also voted into the Central Committee in Bulawayo
last October before being endorsed unopposed as the Cowdray Park National
Assembly candidate for the ruling party in March.
Despite the criticism and negativity by some opposition
elements, Prof Ncube is not turning back on his political journey, which has
been well-nurtured under the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa, whom
he enjoys working under.
But what really is the motivation for his joining of
politics and what is his endgame? How does someone so accomplished like Prof
Ncube leave his global comfort and come back home to compete for a political
position under Zanu-PF? These and other several questions are what the
doomsayers have been asking.
In an interview Prof Ncube replied to many of these
questions and opened up on so many other issues including his upbringing,
education and political views.
At the heart of his desire, and in line with President
Mnangagwa’s vision, is to contribute to the country’s economic transformation
and utilise his vast experience and knowledge to make Zimbabwe one of the most
progressive countries.
“I have always wanted to be in politics and I am a man of
the people. It’s only now that people understand my intentions. Put me in any
constituency and I will deliver. I am a people’s person because I have love for
the people,” said Prof Ncube.
He said what many people do not know is that he has been in
the political field for many years and has assisted many communities across the
country but not to gain political favour.
“I have drilled boreholes and I have even helped develop
young entrepreneurs in making products, car washes and more. When I made my intentions
known many people didn’t know and after I began working, they then embraced
me,” said Minister Ncube.
Prof said he regards himself as a disciplinarian, an
attribute he exercised more during his stint as a lecturer and when he took
over the various administrative roles in his illustrious career. He said
managing the economy as head of the Treasury requires more discipline. No
wonder when he first became the Minister, he quickly introduced tough austerity
measures under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) to straighten up
things.
Despite the backlash from many stakeholders, Prof Ncube
said he remained steadfast as he knew this was the right thing to do for the
economy to flourish and now the positive results are being realised.
“Our economy has been growing even with the instability we
have seen. We have recorded significant figures in our growth, we are working
on dealing with speculators. So far so good, we are delivering by squeezing
liquidity from a fiscal and monetary point of view. We are dealing tough with
speculators and we don’t hesitate in dealing with deviants. As long as I am in
the seat, our economy will grow and it has shown so much growth in the past
five years,” said Prof Ncube.
Reflecting on his past experiences, Prof Ncube said he was
not someone who runs away from problems as long as he is convinced the
interventions being taken are proper.
He made reference to the introduction of the two percent
tax, which initially attracted a lot of resistance but has been fully embraced
and its significance is now being appreciated.
“I don’t run away from problems…I am supportive but when
people deviate, I am very harsh and I do not take prisoners,” said Prof Ncube.
Guided by President Mnangagwa’s vision of transforming
Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030, Prof Ncube said the
Second Republic has achieved numerous milestones on the economic front.
These include the restoration of macro-economic stability,
the roll-out of massive infrastructure development projects and growing
investments leading to the transformation of the key economic sector such as
mining, agriculture, manufacturing and growth in exports, among others.Chronicle
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