Vision 2030: Whose Vision?

A national vision is one that is commonly shared and inclusive in its development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It must therefore take on board the views, inputs and aspirations of individuals and organised stakeholder groups. Towards a national goal, people define what they want and envision not what solution holders think and assume they want. In essence, the people call the shots and service providers simply respond to the people’s needs towards realisation of that vision.

It is against this background that a multi-stakeholder grouping, convened by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), gathered in Mutare on 14 February 2019 , reflecting, discussing and interrogating the country’s vision  dubbed “Upper Middle Income Economy (UMIE) Agenda  by 2030”. Key considerations were made, gaps were identified and a lot of questions emerged. The multimillion dollar question asked was, whose vision is the UMIE Agenda? It is of no doubt that vision 2030 is a politically driven vision which marginalizes and leaves behind majority of citizens. The undesirable outcome of such a policy intervention creates a situation where national wealth coexists with high levels of human deprivation and poverty. Given that poverty in all its dimensions is a major development challenge bedeviling the economy, the vision should have prioritised such.

The fact that Agenda 2030 was first shared in Washington DC and that citizens were alienated from its development is a clear testimony that it is not people centered.. The exclusion of citizens alone exacerbates public skepticism and mistrust, which if not addressed will make the implementation very difficult. The UMIE agenda thus leaves a lot to be desired.

Implications of the UMIE Agenda.

• The policy further exacerbates inequality as wealth remains concentrated in the hands of the few rich;
• “Middle-income country” status pushes the poor further towards the economic and social periphery as the country lose certain concessions that would have benefitted the poor.

Nothing but a “Game of Figures”

It is ironic that while acknowledging that the last two decades were characterised by massive economic decline, the Finance Minister rebased the economy upwards from an US$18 billion economy to a US$25 billion economy without any justification.  The use of hypothetical figures creates wrong impressions on the state of affairs in the country especially when the government is failing to provide basic necessities like public health care services. The unavailability and inaccessibility of drugs in government and council clinics does not reflect a US$25 billion economy. People dying from curable diseases and exorbitant user fees in public institutions are just but examples which raise a lot of questions on the sincerity of government in coming up with national policies. The government needs a reality check which starts with acknowledging the overlapping acute deprivation in terms of deteriorating health and education standards, pathetic living standards, limited livelihood sources, high unemployment, disempowerment of the informal sector and perpetual violation of economic, social, political, cultural and environmental rights enshrined in the national constitution. The economic figures do not speak to the reality on the ground.  With this in mind, there is consensus that the national vision should have addressed a cross section of sectoral issues and not just economic growth.

Towards a People’s Agenda

• People’s voices are very critical in setting the national agenda and it is not too late for the government to seek input from civil society organisations, women’s organisations, social movements, workers’ unions, rights-based organisations, media and other stakeholders. The government should start by acknowledging people’s rights. This approach safeguard people’s rights as citizens define the national agenda. It also goes a long way in instilling public trust across government departments which is a prerequisite for successful implementation of the reform agenda.
• The government should invest in poverty reduction initiatives through domestic redistribution policies that address the rising inequality in the country. A devolved budget addresses both the temporal and special disparities in the country.
• The government should also make a deliberate effort to protect its citizens, starting with upholding the rule of law and protection against exploitation by monopoly capital.
• A sectoral and intergenerational dialogue is required across the political, cultural, social and economic spheres.