Labour Economists and Afrikan Democrats

https://youtu.be/vsu0TjvArsc

NEED FOR CHANGE IN GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

The demands of globalization have increased the need for fresh thinking on how to organize society for a better job of serving our people not only as Afrikans but as Zimbabweans with a history of colonialism and struggling to unshackle the restraints of neocolonialism. In this situation we have been withheld to go forward and our otherwise well intentioned leaders out of frustration have resorted not only to corruption but also to repression as the pain of failure pull them down.  The generality of informed citizens, in this global village as they interact with nationals from other countries, have lost faith in our government, in big business, and other administrative institutions. They have realized our media being “dishonest,” our justice system “engineered and rigged,” our security system “personalized” the dignity of work “derided” and our climate and other policies a “hoax.” Our governments and public sector institutions have been captured by big business and agents of neocolonialism.

Most Afrikan leaders and governments take off on a nationalistic trajectory but with time they lose course and lapse into tyranny. The lives of citizens of the generality of Afrika and the so called third world has become characterised by turmoil, war, terrorism, xenophobia, genocides, abject poverty and a myriad of vices. The time has never been so ripe for a need to think about what principles should shape and guide our society to do a better job of delivering on human needs. This a time for us to swallow our pride, introspect and try to find out where we are going wrong, especially as Afrikans. Is it in our nature to fail to Administer ourselves or we adopted administrative systems alien to us and inapplicable to our situation and in a fast changing world. Should we revert back to the methods used by our ancestors during the days of primitive kingdoms or acephalous societies or we should coin up our own home grown admistrative system applicaple to our social, political, economic, environmental and religious situation? 

LEAD enters the Zimbabwean political arena with a strong conviction that our society needs to move closer to the system known as “social democracy.”  This admistrative approach should however not to be confused with “socialism” or “communism.”  Social democracy as advocated by LEAD should borrow from the Nordic models but have some aspects of Technocracy. There is need to come up with an admistrative system that fuses capitalism with socialist tendencies yet recognizing the fact that the world has become so sophisticated warranting the need for governments to fuse democracy with technocracy. The politicians may be good at the political game but may be found wanting when it comes to the engineering demands of a changing world. Appointments to government positions should respond to the complexities of the technical world.

Social Democracy is an ideology that favours social, political and economic moves by the state for the explicit purpose of promoting social justice within a capitalist economy.  It is a government system that favours capitalism over socialism but recognizes the need to fix certain inadequacies of capitalism so that the economic system works better for more people.

LEAD realises that there are many inadequacies in current capitalism as developed by the so called first world countries. Among them are the persistence of poverty, the growing level of income inequality, the likely reduction of jobs as automation and artificial intelligence advance, companies failing to cover their “social costs,” environmental exploitation, the business cycle and economic instability, and others. The growing wealth concentration created by capitalism is leaching into and assassinating our democracy. Instead of serving the masses democracy is advancing and entrenching the needs of the rich leaving the poor sinking deeper into poverty and deprivation.  We need to think freshly about what respective jobs we want our government and our private enterprise system to perform for us.

Governments do not have power in themselves but are assigned the same by us the citizens. It’s imperative for us to birth and subscribe a governance system that is best suited for our situation them allocate power to political institutions which resonate with our needs and aspirations. We should pronounce the vision and national goal and then allocate power to a political ensemble which has the best means to attain our vision. Political parties should not dictate but be subject and subservient to the national vision. A society where there are no inferior or superior orders is our goal. This pronouncement should be done explicitly in the national constitution which document should be crafted by the citizens and subsumes all their wishes and aspirations. Now it is upto the political formation to come up with a management or ideological route that makes us without fail arrive at the premised destination. The LEAD political formation is convinced that it can provide such a government.

Social democracy coupled with technocracy requires a commitment to representative and responsive government.  Citizens exercise voting rights on the principle of “one person, one vote” and this they do in trust.  Citizens can vote for measures to reduce income inequality and to help the poor with food stamps, Social Security, and unemployment benefits.  Citizens can vote for any measures that promise to improve the general welfare. It now remains with the voted and mandated to live upto their campaign promises and the demands of the national constitution. Good governance should be as enunciated by and enshrined in the national constitution. It should be an ethical undertaking by those in state authority to deliver in line with definitions and guidelines of the constitution. If a government does not stray from working for the good of the majority without marginalizing the minorities it does well.

Social democracy with technocracy advocates an evolutionary and peaceful transition from free market capitalism.  It rejects a revolutionary approach. History has shown us that the revolutionary approach is not only violent but destructive and retrogressive. In most cases it has given rise to authoritarian and repressive governments which are no different from the autocracies of the 18th century. This gradualist approach ensures cooperation, collaboration, conciliatory and concessionary relationship between labour and capital.  Such a symbiotic relationship if driven by technocratic rule yields what social democrats term progress. Social democrats accept the predominance of private property and private enterprise to produce most of the goods and services needed by the citizens.  Only a small number of essential utilities and public services might be necessary under public ownership.

LEAD seeks adopt policies associated with Keynesian economics. Such an approach holds that the state can intervene in economic downturns to turn on the public spending spigot to prop up the economy.  It calls for an independent Federal Reserve Board that tries to kick start a sluggish economy and compress a booming economy in danger of leading to a bust.  This Social democratic approach favors a smooth working economy unplugged by the classic business cycle.  Keynes thought that enlightened capitalism can get rid of the business cycle and mass unemployment. The idea of an independent central banking system has eluded us and could be the reason for our financial woes. Fiscal responsibility and accountability becomes a problem when there is too much influence and interference by politicians. The Reserve Bank governor should operate independently which gives him/her enough latitude to explore competitive and current fiscal and monetary policies and policy reforms.

LEAD will provide universally accessible public services like education, health care, and care for the elderly, child care, and workers’ compensation. It favors policies aimed at reducing poverty, inequality, and oppression of underprivileged groups. Citizens will get free college tuition, health care for life, long periods of paid maternity leave, and a guaranteed retirement income.  LEAD welcomes labor movement and trade unions as tools for supporting the collective bargaining rights for workers and extending wage, benefit and working conditions improvements. It will favor a voice in large companies to share views on the welfare of employees and other company stakeholders.
 
The LEAD government will have a preference for paying higher taxes and receiving better medical care and lower college cost than paying lower taxes and receiving poorer medical care and higher college cost.  It will also have a preference for most of the higher taxes to fall on the rich.
 
Another governance system which the LEAD approach will infuse with Social Democracy is Technocracy. Technocracy is a proposed system of governance in which decision-makers are selected on the basis of their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts with the notion that elected representatives should be the primary decision-makers in government, though it does not necessarily imply eliminating elected representatives. Leadership skills for decision-makers are selected on the basis of specialized knowledge and performance, rather than political affiliations or parliamentary skills.

The term technocracy was originally used to advocate the application of the scientific method to solving social problems. Concern could be given to sustainability within the resource base, instead of monetary profitability, so as to ensure continued operation of all social-industrial functions. In its most extreme sense technocracy is an entire government running as a technical or engineering problem and is mostly hypothetical. In more practical use, technocracy is any portion of a bureaucracy that is run by technologists.

Mrs Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
LEAD President

War against corruption and poverty

Zimbabwe is actually a resilient nation considering the economic warfare that has created instability since America planted puppets amongst us.

We will only progress as a nation when political leaders stop being used by the east and west, when they stop pushing their own selfish agendas for self aggrandizement and when they put Zimbabweans first before trading our natural resources at a pittance.

There is no one who is more Zimbabwean than the other. If we, "the have nots" are not yet ready to call all corrupt and unethical government officials, political, religious and church leaders to order and account there will be no resuscitation of the economy.

Our war as the suffering masses in Zimbabwe is against poverty and corruption. United in our diversity we can dismantle corruption in our government, institutions, civic society, churches, schools, councils, politiical parties, burial societies, etc.

Men in power don't want things to change because they are benefiting from the chaos. Zvivhunze ugere ipapo kuti other than parroting slogans what have you benefited in the last ten years? Ramba kuitiswa and start calling every corrupt person you know to account. Only the truth will set Zimbabwe free.

As for me and the LEAD family, we are going to pull the bull by its horns until we restore order and ensure socioeconomic rights to every Zimbabwean. There is no one who is more Zimbabwean than the other.

#PasiNeCorruption
#NoToCorruption
#LEADingByExample
#TogetherWeCan

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira-Kaingidza
LEAD President

The cobra-effect

Hope you know about a term named Cobra Effect?

If not, it’s time that you learn about it.

The Cobra Effect is a term in economics. It refers to a situation when an attempted solution to a problem makes the problem worse.

This name was coined based on an incident in old colonial India.

By some reasons, there were too many venomous cobra snakes in Delhi. People were dying due to snake-bites and it became scary for almost everyone to step out of their houses.

The government of the day had to get into action to stop this menace and it offered a silver coin for every dead cobra. The results were great, a large number of snakes were killed for the reward.

Eventually however, it led to some serious unwanted consequences. After a short-term dip in cobra population, it started going up.

This was because few people began to breed cobras for the income. When the news reached the government, the reward program was scrapped, causing the cobra breeders to set the now-worthless snakes free. As a result, the cobra population further increased. The solution for the problem made the situation even worse.

The unintended consequence for a well-intention-ed idea led to making the problem worst.

Trying a new solution?

or

Planning to tackle an existing problem with a new idea?

It’s time to pause and think about how people would respond to the new idea that may sound great on paper!

Especially the solutions that try to affect how people behave. There’s always a certain group of people who have a tendency to game the system -intentionally or otherwise.

They have a tendency to take short-term advantage of any situation though that may lead to harm to them & society-at-large only in the long run.

Every solution has consequences and those consequences may lead to certain situations were rather than solving a current problem, you may end up with more complex problems.

Few more examples:
A similar type of incident like increasing cobra-population occurred in Vietnam. The rulers realized that there were too many rats in Hanoi and spread of plague was imminent They created a reward program that paid a prize for every rat killed. To obtain the bounty, people would provide the severed rat tail. After initial success the officials, however, started noticing rats with no tails. The rat catchers would capture rats, cut off their tails, and then release them back into the sewers so that they could breed and produce more rats thereby increasing the rat catchers' profits.

As they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, the similar mistakes are happening around us everyday when the decision makers fail to take a 360 degree view of all the possible outcomes of an action before implementation.

Nearly 2 years ago, city of Philadelphia in USA passed a "soda tax" a US $1 tax on a typical 2-liter bottle of soft-drink- as a "sin tax" in the national war on obesity, but the natives didn’t cut calories as a result of the tax on sweetened drinks, nor there was a shift towards any healthier option. Instead, most of them just drove outside the city to buy the same colas, from stores where they didn’t have to pay the tax. Yet the poorest paid more as they could not find it affordable to drive out of the city to buy their drinks. In the end, city suffered loss of revenue due to lower sales whereas the lower section society paid more .

The unintended consequence for a well-intentioned idea led to making the problem worst.

Even big & brilliant companies do the same mistake!

It is not that mistakes happen only with the government run programs, there are example's in great private companies too where the best & brilliant people lose sight of certain negative outcomes due to the initial magic of seemingly great looking ideas .

Apple turning sour!

In 2017 Apple admitted that it was slowing down the speed of old iPhones as the batteries of those old phones were degrading with the passage of time.To make up on loss of brand image and to saistfy its erstwhile customers, it offered to cut its US$79 battery replacement feed down to US$29 as a way of apologizing.

This lower fee led to more people in 2018 ended up swapping their batteries, instead of upgrading to the latest iPhone models thus affecting new iPhone sales. As iPhone batteries became cheaper and easier to replace, fewer people are shelling out for new iPhones that can now cost up to US $1,449.

On January 2nd this year, Apple revealed that it was expecting a $9 billion loss in revenue due to weak iPhone demand that’s partly caused by more people replacing their batteries, according to a letter issued by CEO Tim Cook addressed to investors.

Slowing down of iPhones sales can be attributed to many external reasons too (better Chines phones, better Apps on Android phones etc ), but strategy of battery-replacement was an internal idea. It would have been handled better if people at top would have thought more about it , if they would have filtered this program from Cobra effect

What's in it for you ?
Next time if you or your team has some brilliant idea , get your brilliant guys together in a room and think about the Cobra-effect before implementing that idea.

You can always fine-tune the idea to minimize the negative implications by spending few extra hours/days before rushing to announce it.

Don’t implement while you’re under the awe of the brilliance of a never -tested, nice-looking solution or idea, think about the Cobra-effect.

Did the GNU think of the cobra effects when they introduced the USD? Clearly not because the effects have been dire. Surely Mthuli Ncube and his finance team should consider the cobra effects of the Zim dollarisation and curb any unintended consequences.

I want the Zim$ to work and will be holding government to account every step of the way.

Government should ensure decent pension payouts

The wage of sin is death and one reaps what he or she sows- these have been the adages that have made so many people in Zimbabwe and in Africa at large to invest much of their energy results i.e the hard earned monies through their working days, with some going for as far as over time in anticipation of having a bumper financial harvest that will sustain them after they have become weary or retired. However in Zimbabwe these anticipations have been turned into anticipations-that-never-were, as those expecting to reap what they sow, they have become more of an eye-sore to the government and what they are reaping after years of sowing is just but next to none, especially in this economy were the RTGS are devaluing every day.

After a long time investments by these old age with the view that one day they would just be able to access their money, all has gone in vain especially with the fact that those who control the pension funds have grown to be self-centered, selfish and egocentric so much so that accessing money by pensioners have become a torrid time ,with some spending nights sleeping outside the bank with the hope of accessing the money which is coming in small amounts that usually can only sustain bus fare considering that the majority is coming from rural areas, and with a family left behind expecting to survive from the pension As most of the young family members are unemployed. With this in mind, as a sane and rational government, action is needed to solve these challenges facing the pensioners which have been seen by both the blind and the dead.

Recognition of senior citizens who are on pension would and is going to be one of the major solutions that would curb the outcry that is becoming so loud like a war cry from the unconfident team. This means there is need for the government to cater for this group when it comes to their transport welfare. With the introduction of the ZUPCO as a government owned transport system, there is need for the government to provide free transport for these now “vulnerable” group that is existing in partial recognition by the government. The provision of transport will clearly reduce the burden of transport costs that are known to be chewing their hard earned and less provided pension by simply removing the psychological trauma of wanting to balance the money that can be easily calculated even by an ECD child.

Considering that the nation is going through an economic quagmire that might not give it the strength and capability to provide the pensioners with meaningful funds, it might be of paramount importance to introduce grocery allowance or tokens that will provide or make them have access to the basic food commodities that can sustain them for the month in addition to the so called money they are receiving. At most, the provision of groceries will at least reduce the burden that is supposed to be carried by the small amount they are receiving. Thus they will end up feeling recognized, since they do not need much but only need what will sustain them or simply what is basic.

More, so the increase or increment of their monthly dues or maintaining that same value but in US$, since some pension houses which have been invested by this pensioners are enjoying the proceeds of these old age. With all the investment that have been made by these pension funds in Zimbabwe using the proceeds from their labor, how come now that the pension funds like MIPF, NRZ, COMMUNICATIONS AND ALLIED INDUSTRY PENSION FUND as well as NSSA are failing to offer the pensioners the much needed US$ than the RTGS$ that has not been stable.

The Pensioners Voice seeks to ensure that NSSA restores the pensioners dignity in the society by paying decent pension payouts not the paltry $RTGS30 to $RTGS80 which they are receiving. NSSA is paying its executive more than $150000 a month in salaries and allowances yet it is busy abusing the pensioner who contributed to that luxury they enjoy with their money which they invested. As a pressure group advocating for decent pension payouts, we will not rest until pensioners are treated with dignity by NSSA and all Pension funds. The silence of IPEC on this serious matter is very disturbing.

Hence it becomes more pathetic that the government is failing to intervene as a way of respecting the patriotic and sane former workers, who have given all and now being stricken left, right, back and center with the hope that one day it will turn in their favor yet some of them have already crossed the borders. Hence, it’s my plea that the government should at least recognize this group. If the former head of state was given his pension in USD why not afford the same opportunity to our pensioners in Zimbabwe?

Linda T. Masarira
Pensioners Voice Convener

Perpetrators of domestic violence must face still penalties

Cases of domestic violence continue to increase in Zimbabwe and it is very worrisome as women continue to lose their lives in these cases. Just last week pictures went viral on  social media of a man who shot dead his wife and brother in law over a marriage dispute. Its rather unfortunate that our society seems to have normalized the abnormal by keeping silent on matters of domestic violence which continue to affect livelihoods on a daily basis.

I was shocked to learn today of the allegations levelled against Vice President Kembo Mohadi of domestic violence. If the allegations against him are proven to be true, VP Mohadi should do the honorable thing and resign from his position as Vice President of Zimbabwe. Leaders should lead by example and desist from any form of violence whether its domestic, political or social. We need leaders who lead by example and set an example that domestic violence is wrong and totally unacceptable.

Women continue to bear the brunt of domestic violence. Zimbabwe endorsed major international conventions and instruments by making them part of the laws of the land. The country instituted fundamental policies and legal provisions which in theory, offer women protection of their rights in society yet practically women continue to suffer and lose their lives to their spouses.

The Anti-domestic Violence Council should be more visible that is if it still exists. Cases of violence within homes continue to rise despite the enactment of the domestic violence law which has not been enforced to curb the vice.

The Domestic Violence Act conceptualised domestic violence as physical abuse, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, economic abuse, malicious damage to property, the list is endless.

As women who fight against any form of gender based violence, we stand with Senator Tambudzani Mohadi and implore her to ensure that she receives justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. VP Mohadi is not above the law and we want to see the law taking precedence in this matter.

Cases of apparent leniency in the sentencing of male offenders convicted of violence often attract media attention suggesting that this type of violence is not being taken seriously by the Zimbabwe criminal justice agencies. Senator Mohadi should open a case of domestic violence and we will stand with her until she justice is done.

An injury to one woman is an injury to all women. Other women's organizations and pressure groups silence on this case is worrisome and an indicator of how polarized we are as a society to the extent that we can not call out to order offenders of women's rights. United we stand as women and divided we fall into oblivion. Be your sisters keeper.

In conclusion, the police should ensure that they restart robust awareness campaigns countrywide against domestic violence. ZWIPA urges people to desist from domestic violence and not to solve disputes through violent means.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira-Kaingidza
Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance Director

Perpetrators of Domestic Violence should face stiff penalties

Cases of domestic violence continue to increase in Zimbabwe and it is very worrisome as women continue to lose their lives in these cases. Just last week pictures went viral on  social media of a man who shot dead his wife and brother in law over a marriage dispute. Its rather unfortunate that our society seems to have normalized the abnormal by keeping silent on matters of domestic violence which continue to affect livelihoods on a daily basis.

I was shocked to learn today of the allegations levelled against Vice President Kembo Mohadi of domestic violence. If the allegations against him are proven to be true, VP Mohadi should do the honorable thing and resign from his position as Vice President of Zimbabwe. Leaders should lead by example and desist from any form of violence whether its domestic, political or social. We need leaders who lead by example and set an example that domestic violence is wrong and totally unacceptable.

Women continue to bear the brunt of domestic violence. Zimbabwe endorsed major international conventions and instruments by making them part of the laws of the land. The country instituted fundamental policies and legal provisions which in theory, offer women protection of their rights in society yet practically women continue to suffer and lose their lives to their spouses.

The Anti-domestic Violence Council should be more visible that is if it still exists. Cases of violence within homes continue to rise despite the enactment of the domestic violence law which has not been enforced to curb the vice.

The Domestic Violence Act conceptualised domestic violence as physical abuse, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, economic abuse, malicious damage to property, the list is endless.

As women who fight against any form of gender based violence, we stand with Senator Tambudzani Mohadi and implore her to ensure that she receives justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. VP Mohadi is not above the law and we want to see the law taking precedence in this matter.

Cases of apparent leniency in the sentencing of male offenders convicted of violence often attract media attention suggesting that this type of violence is not being taken seriously by the Zimbabwe criminal justice agencies. Senator Mohadi should open a case of domestic violence and we will stand with her until she justice is done.

An injury to one woman is an injury to all women. Other women's organizations and pressure groups silence on this case is worrisome and an indicator of how polarized we are as a society to the extent that we can not call out to order offenders of women's rights. United we stand as women and divided we fall into oblivion. Be your sisters keeper.

In conclusion, the police should ensure that they restart robust awareness campaigns countrywide against domestic violence. ZWIPA urges people to desist from domestic violence and not to solve disputes through violent means.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira-Kaingidza
Zimbabwe Women In Politics Alliance Director