Kasukuwere cannot run a ministry

Published: 18 March 2014

Savior Kasukuwere made international news headlines during the inclusive government when he campaigned vigorously for the Indigenisation of foreign-owned firms in the country.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to conclude that the otherwise noble indigenisation programme was left in a mess by the man they call Tyson.

The nation was surprised when he was appointed minister.

In the first place, many people doubt Kasukuwere's credentials to be appointed a minister.

His forays in business have been disastrous and one wonders which Curriculum Vitae President Robert Mugabe used to make him a minister.

Kasukuwere took over the once vibrant, United Touring Company (UTC) and now it is a shell. Nobody knows how it was destroyed in a few years. The lanky minister then bought into Genesis Bank and it collapsed under his watch.

Kasukuwere went into the fuel industry through Comoil but now the company seems to be sinking into oblivion.

Reports also indicate that the robust minister also involved himself in Interfresh as part of the investors when it was profitable but when he left, the company was in the red.

Last week, Kasukuwere was blasted by diamond mining companies over the Zimunya/Marange Community Share Ownership Trust scheme where executives representing the companies all but accused the minister of lying to Mugabe over the $10 million each they were supposed to give the community.

Since his appointment to a "lesser" portfolio as Environment, Water and Climate minister in September 2013, Kasukuwere has cut a lone figure in cabinet.

The previously combatant minister has in the past seven months failed to articulate his vision to address perennial water woes, which have seen some residents going for several weeks without water. Industry is currently on its knees due to severe water shortages.

Kasukuwere was only visible during the Hwange National Park cyanide killing of elephants late last year, and has since then been conspicuously very quiet.

The minister clearly lacks the mental stamina to ensure that citizens have access to clean water and industries are depending on wells.

Currently, every major city and small town in Zimbabwe is plagued by water crisis and it is not very far-fetched to predict another cholera or dysentery outbreak soon due to lack of clean water in homes.

Yet Kasukuwere continues to grope in the dark, without any solution to the crisis that is threatening not only to reverse gains made during the inclusive government era but also to destroy the moral fabric of the nation.

Everywhere in the world, it has been identified that efficient and proper management of water resources and sources are key ingredients to countries' economic growth.

Zimbabwe's key growth drivers such as agriculture depend on water, hence the need to manage the resources and sources efficiently.

The country's economy and populations are heavily dependent on water resources not only for drinking but also for agriculture, livestock and fishing.

As such, the availability and access to water strongly influences the patterns of economic growth and social development.

We strongly believe that relatively low development status of water resources places considerable challenges in meeting the social and economic needs of populations.

Instead of sleeping on the job, Kasukuwere must ensure that different institutions and sectors come together to determine the optimum manner of management and use of water and natural resources.

There is thus need to raise technical capacity especially to rural communities for rainwater harvesting and storage, and use of forecasting information.

Another significant element in this effort is the need to improve water research by ensuring access to quality data and dissemination including establishment of regional centres of excellence.

As a water-scarce country, the manner in which the resource is used should top the priority in Kasukuwere's ministry.

First, knowledge and experiences ought to be applied to continuously improve the status of water management today and prepare us for tomorrow's challenges.

By sharing the same knowledge, the capacity of other Zimbabweans would be improved to manage the resource efficiently.

During the 2009 and 2014 period, there was a lot of rehabilitation of water towers, re-afforestation and improved management of water resources and services aimed at

offering hope for a better and sustainable future not only in management of water, but all natural resources.

But since Kasukuwere took over, nothing much has been happening in that department.

Lack of water remains a major threat to public health and water resources' quality.

If Kasukuwere was serious about addressing the water crisis, by now he should have identified tapping into private sector funding as key to hastening the pace of physical coverage and quality service.

We expect the government, through Kasukuwere to develop a raft of policy and legislative tools to boost sustainable utilisation of water resources at the grassroots level.

Currently, Zimbabwe's timber reserves are facing extinction within the next five years given the rate at which they are being decimated by veld fires and the minister has failed to propose or craft polices that would impose stiffer penalties in curbing the vice.

Does the minister also have a clue what climate change is? Does he have any idea or plans to reduce the effects of climate change in the country? Your guess is as good as ours!

In our opinion, after failing to run his own businesses, Kasukuwere should not have been appointed minister in the first place.
- dailynews

Tags: Kasukuwere,