Moyo to MDC, "Act!"
Maverick politician, Jonathan Moyo, whose rants appear to have declined in proportion with the demise of his influence since his fall from glory weighed in on the hottest controversy in Zimbabwean politics--the MDC senate stalemate. Just like his days in government, the former cabinet minister thrust his failing star into the limelight by latching onto the most talked about issue in Zimbabwe. He did so not because he has anything valid to offer (even if he did he long abused the priviledge of his power stripping himself of any credibility to comment on any national matter), but because he wants to be heard and will do anything to have himself heard.
Well, we heard. There really was nothing said. It was, to quote the words of Otto Von Bismark, "A high sounding nothing." Moyo's (hardly) scintillating analysis surmounts to this: a long lecture on the essence to of ideology to politics, and that MDC should participate in the elections if for nothing else, as a defensive move. What blinding wisdom--not! Read the garrulous thing here.
What else is new?
Like it's former defacto chief editor, the Herald has also lurched onto the MDC crisis. Monday's edition claims,
Oh well.
In other news reserve bank governor, Gideon Gono, made his third quarter policy announcement late last week. Surprise surprise he admitted that inflation is going to close out the year anywhere near where he'd claimed it'd be. Late in 2004 Gono said he expected inflation to drop below 80% by this year's end. Not so. And in what is becoming a wind chase for him, he announced yet another change to how forex receipts will be traded on the formal market in the country. Don't overlook this, it's nothing short of an admission of the failure of his sytems to lure foreign exchange to the formal market. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again Zimbabwe's "black" market isn't black at all. It is doing what the formal market is unable to do--source funds for some so that they can go on with their lives.
Watch for another great epistle from our friend Eddie Cross and my debut "Zimbabwe+ weekly roundup" over at Global Voices tomorrow.
Zimbabwe, Jonathan Moyo,
Well, we heard. There really was nothing said. It was, to quote the words of Otto Von Bismark, "A high sounding nothing." Moyo's (hardly) scintillating analysis surmounts to this: a long lecture on the essence to of ideology to politics, and that MDC should participate in the elections if for nothing else, as a defensive move. What blinding wisdom--not! Read the garrulous thing here.
What else is new?
Like it's former defacto chief editor, the Herald has also lurched onto the MDC crisis. Monday's edition claims,
"OUTSPOKEN MDC Member of Parliament for St Mary’s Mr Job Sikhala has revealed that the opposition party was given a total of US$2,5 million by Taiwan, Ghana and Nigeria in illegal political funding, which he says is responsible for the current infighting within the party."The potshot article, by none other than defamed one time geography teacher Caesar Zvayi gloats endlessly about the MDC's problems. Question; if Zvayi and his bosses in Herald House are such stringent rule obsevors that they've studied Zimbabwe's electoral laws enough to notice that financial contributions to the opposition are "illegal," what have they to say about ZANU-PF's perennial looting of state coffers? How come it is all of a sudden easier to see that the MDC is funded illegally and not ZANU? Oh wait a minute, maybe I'm asking too much of Zvayi, journalistic integrity doesn't exist inthe same realm he does.
Oh well.
In other news reserve bank governor, Gideon Gono, made his third quarter policy announcement late last week. Surprise surprise he admitted that inflation is going to close out the year anywhere near where he'd claimed it'd be. Late in 2004 Gono said he expected inflation to drop below 80% by this year's end. Not so. And in what is becoming a wind chase for him, he announced yet another change to how forex receipts will be traded on the formal market in the country. Don't overlook this, it's nothing short of an admission of the failure of his sytems to lure foreign exchange to the formal market. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again Zimbabwe's "black" market isn't black at all. It is doing what the formal market is unable to do--source funds for some so that they can go on with their lives.
Watch for another great epistle from our friend Eddie Cross and my debut "Zimbabwe+ weekly roundup" over at Global Voices tomorrow.
Zimbabwe, Jonathan Moyo,
