Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Patrick Zhuwao
“I WAS once a deputy minister but I never had the pride that I now have as a full minister. You should watch me when I am walking. I now walk with a spring in my step. I no longer open the car door for myself; I wait for the aides to open for me. Oh! I feel so important!”
These were the youthful Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Patrick Zhuwao’s opening remarks at a press conference last week, taking pride in practically living in the sun in his new job.
Indeed, at the end of the press briefing, the dreadlocked Minister dramatised the spring in his step, but could not showcase the new lifestyle of being ushered into his automobile by aides as he went straight to his office.
Zhuwao might have just latently sold out why ZANU-PF bigwigs cannot imagine life outside their lofty positions, what with the verve he has introduced in his Ministry.
Since Zhuwao landed that Ministry, he has made some pronouncements that have confused many on what exactly is the position of President Robert Mugabe’s administration on the controversial indigenisation law, which compels foreign investors to cede at least 51 percent stakes to locals.
There have been indications that government was making a major climbdown on the law as it sought to lure elusive investors who have kept their money away from the country.
Last year, government announced it was reviewing the law to allow for sector specific implementation, which effectively meant that it was going to be the duty of line ministries to mainstream the programme.
This left the indigenisation minister — at that time under Francis Nhema and later Chris Mushohwe — clutching onto a ministry devoid of the influence it used to have under their predecessor, the boisterous ZANU-PF national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere.
When Mushohwe came, the ministry had already been rendered ceremonial, with its main function of indigenisation and economic empowerment struck off its brief, leaving the youth portfolio as its only meaningful role.
This plunged its future into serious doubt, with many suggesting that it could be disbanded and the youth portfolio incorporated into another ministry.
The indigenisation portfolio had enabled Kasukuwere to wade into the affairs of other ministries, especially those under the economic cluster, as he sought to compel all foreign-owned companies to comply with the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.
This had often caused sparks to fly, especially between Kasukuwere and his colleagues who felt undermined by the intrusive nature of such an arrangement.
A case in point was the tug of war that ensued between Tendai Biti, the former finance minister, and Kasukuwere, who was the indigenisation minister between 2009 and 2013.
Biti and former central bank governor, Gideon Gono, fought relentless battles with Kasukuwere who wanted foreign-owned banks to give up controlling stakes to black Zimbabweans against their advice.
Ever since, it seemed as if government had made a climbdown, amid growing calls for it to repeal the indigenisation law, widely considered to be a hindrance to investment.
But, alas, the axis has reverted.
At last week’s press conference, Zhuwao spoke with an aura of authority and vigour which had the hallmarks of Kasukuwere’s abrasive politics.
The nation has not forgotten the ZANU-PF poster boy in the huge election victory of July 2013: Kasukuwere, who was branded the biggest mover and shaker in the ruling party as he tried to work his way past everyone, successfully used indigenisation to lure voters.
President Mugabe with his nephew Patrick Zhuwao
In swashbuckling style, he bullied foreign-owned corporates into ceding stakes to black Zimbabweans and arranged community share ownership schemes in different parts of the country, giving the impression that ZANU-PF was really for the people.
The masses, being gullible as some theorist of old put it, fell for it.
Now much more powerful as a top ranking ZANU-PF official, Kasukuwere has been reassigned to the Ministry of Local Government where he is believed to have been mandated to cow urban councils and bulldoze the ruling party’s way back into towns and cities dominated by the Movement for Democratic Change.
And now, in comes Zhuwao, a close friend of Kasukuwere, who is seemingly on a mission to outperform his brother as he seeks to prove that he has not been awarded a useless ministry devoid of any responsibility and authority.
At the press conference, Zhuwao, being President Mugabe’s nephew and obviously not wishing to disappoint his uncle, reiterated his position on the introduction of a 10 percent indigenisation levy on foreign-owned companies starting next year.
He did not just end there; he even said the levy would be raised to 12,5 percent in 2017, by which time he expects to have raised US$186 million to be invested in community share ownership schemes. Wow!
In addition to that, Zhuwao has also lined up an ambitious programme, which will see his ministry setting up “indigenisation” structures countrywide.
And there is no time to waste for the dreadlocked minister as he hosts the inaugural economic empowerment conference tomorrow at the Harare International Conference Centre, where 5 000 delegates, drawn from the country’s 10 provinces, are expected to throng the giant facility.
Zhuwao said this would be followed by conventions at district level where leaders would be selected to constitute provincial indigenisation committees.
Critics have, however, argued that this was one of the many ZANU-PF strategies to win the next general elections due in 2018.
Zhuwao seemed to be confirming this because he has already indicated that he was now busy seeking political buy-in on his grand dreams for the country’s indigenisation programme.
“I have been asked by the (indigenisation) board to seek political support for the levy which will have to pass through Cabinet and Parliament,” he said.
Asked if he would be able to secure that political support, he said: “I am a politician. I will get that political buy-in.”
And doubt him at your own peril.
Those who paid close attention to proceedings at a rally in Chimanimani by First Lady, Grace Mugabe, by now must know that Zhuwao already has that political buy-in.
Of the 16 ministers that trooped to Mutambara High School last Thursday, only him got the privilege of being called to the front and be introduced to the people as the new Minister of Indigenisation who had the mandate to mainstream economic empowerment programmes.
Speaking in the vernacular language, the First lady said she wanted villagers to know “the new minister whom you will be working with to develop communities”.
Those with ears heard.
It is very hard to see Zhuwao failing to get support for the levy in Cabinet and Parliament, State organs in which the ruling party has control, if the Chimanimani episode is anything to go by.
His ear to ear grin as he resumed his seat at the high table showed a man hugely satisfied.
He is a man living the moment, and for anyone who is harbouring the thought of wrestling power from ZANU-PF through the popular vote, here is the writing on the wall!
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