Zimbabwe:Goodbye 2009, Welcome 2010

Source from:  The Herald 01/04/2010

Harare - THE sun sets so that it can rise the following morning, giving people hope that the next day will bring with it the good side of life and forget the previous day's misfortunes. The year 2009 has come and gone and focus now turns to 2010. Most people are hoping that the good things from 2009, arguably the best year in a decade of hardship, will continue. Just like any other year, people make resolutions about things they want to achieve in the coming year ranging from accumulating wealth, buying houses, cars, starting businesses, passing examinations, getting married, among the others on the seemingly inexhaustible list of resolutions. Mr Mandlenkosi Mpofu of Harare said his New Year's resolution is going to South Africa to watch the Fifa Soccer World Cup finals in June. "I want to take my family to South Africa so that they become part of the excitement that comes with soccer. "This is the first time the World Cup will be hosted by an African country so I want my family to be part of the millions that will throng South Africa," he said. "I want to make sure that I buy a stand next year because so far things have been promising. "I also want to leave vending and start a butchery business. Remember with God everything is possible," said a vendor Mr Tapiwa Dube . A Chinhoyi farmer, Mrs Margret Dondo said she hopes to produce thousands of tonnes of soya beans next year and hoped Government would provide more support for farmers. "I have 180 hectares of land and I intend to plant soya beans hence my wish for Government's commitment to agriculture. I appreciate that Government has been doing a lot to ensure that we get inputs and hope the support continues," she said. A Lower Sixth student who only identified herself as Mary said her New Year's resolution was to pass her Advanced Level examinations. "I have written under my resolutions to pass my Advanced Level examinations. The goings on of last year taught me a lot of lessons that education is the key to life. "Most people who abandoned school to become foreign currency traders now wish they had completed O-Level because their only source of income collapsed," said Mary. She had another wish: "I just pray that teachers are not going to be on strike again. I wish they will be committed to teaching us and that Government will improve their working conditions." Mr Arnold Banda (34) said his 2010 resolution is to marry the love of his life he has been dating for the past three years. He said for the past two years he has been trying to raise money to pay lobola but it was being eroded by inflation before the dollarisation of the economy early this year. "My New Year's resolution two years ago was to marry my long time girlfriend but the harsh economic environment resulted in me postponing the plans. "I also had the same plan last year but did not achieve it because I was earning the Zimbabwean dollar. I am now earning US dollars and can save money and hopefully marry by the end of June," he said. But some resolutions are decades old and people have become almost addicted to making resolutions and breaking them. "The unfortunate thing is that some resolutions are not self-determined but centred on other people creating circumstances that determine whether one achieves them or not," said Mr Grace Moyo of Waterfalls. She said some had already given up writing down their resolutions because they were not sure what the year would bring basing on recent years where prices of commodities would change three to four times a day and one could not budget in such an environment. "In as much as some people might have failed to mark some of their resolutions as accomplished, they are carrying them into 2010 hoping that all things being equal, they should achieve them. "There is nothing wrong with carrying a failed dream forward. "Remember there is nothing wrong with falling but what one does after falling is what matters. "Does one keep lying on the ground or he stands up straight and boldly say 'I know I am not a failure, I will try again until I achieve it'," said Mr Amos Gudo of Mbare. Mr Chris Dube of Norton said this year had its highs and lows. He said the highs outweighed the lows considering what has been achieved in the last 10 months with the introduction of the multi-currency and the subsequent ushering in of the inclusive Government in February. "This brought smiles on many people's faces as they believed the country was going to recover as all progressive Zimbabweans would have one objective -- that of bringing back the vivaciousness that characterised our economy before the end of the past decade. "They trusted the leadership's sincerity who appended their signatures to the Global Political Agreement and the fast-tracking of Constitutional Amendment 19 in Parliament," he explained. Added Dube: "Having gone for almost a year without a substantive government after last year's inconclusive elections, the birth of the inclusive Government was received with jubilation across the political divide as this was the only viable arrangement to take Zimbabwe out of this economic quagmire that it found itself in. "Zimbabwe has the potential to get back on its feet once there is political will on our leadership," he said. He said a recent lecture by Minister of Finance Tendai Biti at Brooks World Poverty Institute at Manchester University in England was motivating and gave him hope for the coming year. Dube said Minister Biti's statement that "Zimbabwe is a sleeping giant which just happens to be in a ditch. Never measure a giant in a ditch because you will never get its correct height", tells the true Zimbabwean story. "This is absolutely correct and it is a matter of time before we get out of this ditch since we are in the right direction, especially looking at the achievements of this government in the past few months, obviously we cannot ask for anything more," said Dube. Mr Alexander Nyere of Seke said: "The economy has stabilised, goods are back in the shops, teachers and doctors are back at state institutions notwithstanding a few strikes by these professionals over salary increments. "Thumbs up to them because they went back to serve their beloved country despite their low salaries. They understand their employer is resuscitating." While many are looking forward to 2010, they have not forgotten 2009's share of problems and challenges that resulted in doctors and teachers going on strike over low salaries Reason Gomo of Bluffhill said the "partial disengagement"from government business by MDC-T somehow sent shock waves to Zimbabweans and those who intended to invest in the country thinking the "marriage of convenience" was heading for annulment. He thanked the leadership for realising that Zimbabwe was too big to be derailed by petty issues. "I was happy when the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation ordered negotiations meant to iron out the differences. "However, it is every Zimbabwean's wish that these talks are concluded at the earliest time possible because they cannot continue for good. An agreement has to be reached somewhere, somehow. "Negotiations require compromise so the political leadership should be willing to address and agree on the issues. "The earlier they do this the better because some people's resolutions for 2010 are anchored on the inclusive Government's operations," said Mr Gomo. However, there are some whose resolutions were maybe anchored on bumper harvest from their farms. Unfortunately, some stand to count their losses as the money, which was meant for agricultural inputs, has not yet been availed to buy those inputs and hailstorms have destroyed tobacco in some parts of the country. "The growing season is almost lapsing yet those inputs have not yet been delivered if they have been bought at all yet everyone knows that Zimbabwe's economy is agro-based. "Something should be done to address this issue before it gets out of hand. The prayer is that this economic recovery process be not derailed by selfish attitudes at the expense of putting people first," said Mrs Rose Mapfumo of Chegutu. Enditem