In response to the article in the Sunday Times dated February 13 by Arthur Mutambara, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, titled “Ramaphosa exposed as ideologically bankrupt and strategically incoherent”, I make the following comments to correct the entire narrative.
Mutambara picks up one remark made by the President, which is “government does not create jobs, the private sector does”, and makes a meal out of it, to label the president as ideologically bankrupt and strategically incoherent.
The remark is true even if the role of the state cannot be thrown away. The reason the president made the remark rests on the present state of our state-owned enterprises, which were hollowed out by state capture.
Yes, the government has to create a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive and this is found all over the world. At the time Mutambara was part of the Zimbabwean government, I do not remember him labelling Robert Mugabe ideologically bankrupt and strategically incoherent, instead he was complicit when Mugabe was busy destroying his own country.
Truth be told, part of the problem we have in SA are the millions of Zimbabweans who are competing with South Africans for scarce resources and being involved in criminal activities.
Zimbabweans are very good in pontificating to South Africans on how to run their own country as if there is something good that comes out of their own country. As South Africans we do not need any economic lessons from Mutambara.
If he is as knowledgeable about the economy as he claims to be, let him go and lecture Emmerson Mnangagwa on how to fix the mess that makes the country so poor to an extent that almost the entire population is in SA.
Stating that leadership is in short supply in SA is an insult. Mutambara, go and fix Zimbabwe if you are a good leader.
BM Khomo, Lebowakgomo, Limpopo.
