We have to do things differently this year

portia chinyahara

  february 11 2014 

  hoping that the year started on a good footing and that what lies ahead for all us in the year will make us better individuals, with better companies and an end result of a  better nation.This may seem impossible due to the situation on the ground of cash challenges, and  companies are closing evryday, unemployment and unjustifiably high prices for goods and services that confront the nation today but don’t they say a rough sea makes a great captain.
Certainly in crisis lies opportunity. The fact that we have started the year on a rather challenging note does not preclude better prospects in the year. But realistically, the work is cut out for us and we just have to make it happen.
It is a fact that the times are tough for the majority of Zimbabweans. It is yet another fact that many were struggling to pay school fees or to buy uniforms in preparation for the new term.
It has also been substantiated  that despite the cancellation of outstanding domestic water bills and a portion of electricity bills last year, a benevolent gesture by  the Government by the way, the figures reflecting non-payment since then are rising because to many, the money just is not there.
It’s true that farmers are converting truckloads of tomatoes into manure as demand is low at the marketplace. It is not further from the truth that families can hardly afford three meals in a day.

The success or otherwise of any programme is judged purely on results and the generality of Zimbabweans critically need tangible positive results that will become manifest in the various facets of their lives, from the government they elected into offices.
People are generally more concerned about mere bread and butter issues almost literally. Greater impetus should thus be put by all stakeholders in addressing these fundamental needs. The solutions to all these challenges reside within us.
We have the resources, the capability and certainly the motivation to get things going.
We have diamonds, gold, platinum, fertile soil and skills and a whole list of resources that can transform this economy into a powerhouse.
More accountability is expected this year as we premise economic transformation more on local resources than foreign help. Every dollar earned from these resources needs to be accounted for if we are to effectively transform the economy.
This year was the first full year for Zim Asset implementation hence we must make significant progress.
The four pillars on which the programme is anchored have the potential to address the bulk of the many challenges that afflict the economy today.
The policy must be understood by the population in terms of language and orientation. This will entail the buy-in that will fuel its implementation and hence success.
We need to have the right mindset, understanding, belief and drive to take the economy out of the present quagmire.
We need to align our priorities to our goals as Government and broadly as a country to ensure we attain that which we must.