Problem identification, Zimbabwean Policy Making worst nightmare

Our government of presupposed learned folks irks the eye and ear as policy making have become policy taking. Arriving at a policy uptake level either based on populism or personal interest has been their political strategy. The ever rising issue of banning the import of cheap and used Japanese cars is yet one step that tells you we are going nowhere. The Zimbabwean government has resorted to fighting symptoms of the disease rather than the actual cause.

The willow vale dudes have shown lack of research as to why people prefer Used cars than theirs. Instead of correcting that, they lure the policy takers into a dead end personal interest journey. A journey they think by banning used Japanese cars will see people affording theirs.

Today, the country suffers from many diseases that shred from the economy, culture to politics. It is a reality that our sick nation is slowly landing into the intensive care unit fading into a coma. Zimbabwe is so sick that no one wants to invest through the government because the future is uncertain. The latest government to deny us support is the Chinese. Why we have resorted to the Chinese is a response to a disease that saw the West as enemies and Looked East. Shamefully the East behaved like the West, just “Mega Deals” that mean nothing to our crisis. In short, I would say we are under Chinese invisible sanctions.

The government has been superb on giving problem causes a blind eye since they got into power. Corruption is one main problem that is high and it is up surged by the absence of law towards those highly placed in political positions. In any case the President was accompanied by these same culprits to China. Who would dare give well-known thieves money and expect it to be paid back or used as agreed.  The corruption issues are causing a sharp decline in FDI noted by Mangudya.

The country realised $1,2billion from exports for the first half of the year compared to $2,9billion worth of imports. A clue for the liquidity crisis cause which was caused by corruption and policy taking by this government of ours.

Policy Taking driven by populism have seen the emergence of the Indigenisation Act. The idea could have been noble if it was addressing a problem, however the Act was and is responding to symptoms of unemployment not causes of unemployment.

It is sickening that these culprits are aware, and they are not feeling the heat. No nation hates the Chinese like Zimbabweans. Ask Zimbos working with or for them, from the diamonds to clothes. Yet, they are our government`s friend who can`t even transform mega deals into reality.

I am certain and definite that in Zimbabwe we are going to see any policy being fulfilled. Unless problem identification is correct. In short problem identification is the foundation of staging a policy into life. However, when the problem turns to be symptoms, it is best described as a complete waste of time and resources. 

This article was first published in the Newsday Zmbabwe Newspaper on 5 September 2014