JAYSON KARAN
All over the country, the Zimbabwean citizens are furious and outraged due to emanating reports which state that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has acquired a US$54 million presidential jet.
The Lea jet, a Dassault Falcon 7X , was acquired at a time the majority of the population is wallowing in abject poverty.
Many have lost their means of livelihoods due to the shutdown of a vibrant industry that was inherited from the colonial regime.
For years, the country has been suffering because of economic instability which has led many people to leave the country to look for greener pastures so as to be able to feed their families.
According to reports, the aircraft was delivered in March, but it was not put into service until last week when Mnangagwa attended the Transform Africa Summit in Victoria Falls.
President Mnangagwa also managed to use this private jet to send the Swaziland king Mswati lll to officiate the opening ceremony of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.
According to
Economists, and the citizens at large, the ZANU-PF led government is having misguided priorities, especially at a time when the country is suffering from years of economic decadence.
“The US$54m used to buy the jet could boost the health sector for a whole year (because) the money can be used in our ailing hospitals and clinics,” said Economist Gift Mugano.
Mugano cited the case of ill-equipped emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders that are failing to save people’s lives after accidents.
According to some, when a patient is referred to a hospital, the health institutions cannot even administer a simple painkiller let alone basic treatment.
“People are crying for basic needs like (painkillers) in hospitals yet Mnangagwa is spending such an amount of money on a lavish presidential jet,” said Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai Maguwu.
ZIM GBC NEWS managed to get people’s reaction to the news of the jet and many of them showed they were not happy about it.
“In this country not that we are struggling from getting food but there are also some issues of electricity,” said an angry citizen.
“We have been experiencing a lot of load shedding in the country due to some issues in Kariba power station,” added the Bulawayo resident.
“So many roads in this country are no longer for cars but for swimming as they are now full of potholes and big holes, one can fill them with water and start swimming,” said a Bulawayo resident.
“There is also the issue of lack of water in the high residential areas and increase of sewage bursts and other people are enjoying luxurious life,” another Bulawayo resident told ZIM GBC NEWS.
Besides the country’s atrocious health sector, the education sector has also been on the decline and if parents don’t afford to pay for private lessons in US dollars, their children are doomed.
“This is a case of misplaced priorities, it does not augur well and has no moral persuasion from the country’s leadership,” said Mugano.
Lawyer Sharon Hofisi said the acquisition of the presidential jet raised concerns from both an executive presidential system and constitutional democracy perspective.
“The purchase of a private jet for the President at a time Zimbabwe is facing numerous social and economic challenges raises questions about priorities and the government’s commitment to addressing the needs of its citizens.
The acquisition of a presidential private jet amid a sea of poverty, unemployment, inequality, ridiculous salaries for civil servants and appalling pensions of senior citizens, is indicative of a crisis of leadership, a lack of moral rectitude and a pervasive moral crisis that has shredded whatever remaining iota of hope that some Zimbabweans had in the second republic.
“With this kind of attitude, (Zimbabwe) won’t even achieve its dream of becoming an upper middle income economy by 2030,” said Former Cabinet minister in the 2009-2013 Government of National Unity, Gorden Moyo.