CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Stan Dongo, Zimbabwe, July 1999
THEME = POLITICS
President Robert Mugabe sometimes gives the impression of running his country from abroad
A popular adage going the rounds in Zimbabwe, today, depicts a quiz master and a nine year-old pupil. "Where does President Mugabe live?" asks the quiz master. "In an aeroplane", replies the pupil. Even five-year-olds watching television now know that whenever they see people standing in a line on the screen "they're waiting for Mugabe" at Harare Airport.
President Mugabe's free-style spending sprees on his numerous trips abroad, has made him more enemies than friends at home, where the poor performance of the economy is largely blamed on unchecked government expenditure.
For years, economic experts and the independent media have been complaining loudly about Mugabe's expenditure, which has continued with total disregard to the nation's calls for financial discipline in the government in general and regarding the President's journeys in particular. Mugabe has frequently ignored the complaints and suggestions to cut his administrative expenditure. Recently he retorted saying his many trips showed him to be a hard working leader and therefore his trips are justified.
Scoffing at suggestions to delegate some of his duties to others, Mugabe said that only lazy presidents sent their deputies. "Where they request the presence of the President, I will not abstain. I will go regardless...".
The independent press has worked overtime on this issue and has taken the President to task by disclosing the number of trips Mugabe has made, plus the huge amounts spent this year alone. He has been to several countries including Egypt, France, Britain, China, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Singapore, with extra large delegations.
In the past, Mugabe has successfully castigated the independent press, but it seems his ability to silence what he calls the "gutter press" is waning. Even his speeches to defend his style of life are getting somewhat rusty. The government has failed to explain itself at home and abroad concerning all these trips, leaving the public to believe the trips are shopping sprees for Mugabe and his team who are on record as having looted the government coffers.
These trips deemed "unnecessary" have been costing the average Zimbabwean taxpayer a fortune. A breakdown of expenditure incurred by Mugabe and his delegations, (described by many as the President's "chosen friends"), comes up with the following: Government officials, the President's domestic staff and his security officials, when travelling with Mugabe, each get allowances averaging US $250 per day. Ministers get twice as much. Even when his delegation numbers as many as 41, nothing is ever said.
The President's reaction to criticism of his foreign trips or of government expenditure on such occasions, has been passive and unconvincing. His information officer says the frequent trips are justified because of the "benefits accruing from them. The allowances are for travel and subsistence so that delegation members can sleep and eat decently whilst on duty".
The fact is, Zimbabwe is losing billions through corruption and Mugabe is doing little or nothing to combat the malpractice. Many Zimbabweans of all classes now place their hope for survival on the newly appointed Constitutional Review Commission which they believe will be able to produce a legal document, which might curtail the presidential powers and therefore combat corruption in local and central government. Opposition parties, however, are not pleased because they say the Commission should have been appointed by an all-party conference.
The general plea to Mugabe seems to be: "Please stay at home and save the little that is left in our coffers".
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CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement