ED’s new Cabinet must serve the people

President Mnangagwa’s much anticipated new Cabinet, which could be appointed this week, should draw lessons from the past to avoid handicaps that can compromise its performance.

For this new Cabinet, which will be the first in the Second Republic, there are already high expectations from Zimbabweans even before it is announced.

People expect an efficient Cabinet capable of resolving economic problems that have been afflicting them. It is a fact that the work for the new Cabinet is already cut out.

Zimbabweans are placing their hopes on Government to come up with programmes that will lift them from current challenges to prosperity.

One of the major pitfalls of Cabinet under former president Mr Robert Mugabe was lack of unison and collective effort to develop the country.

This became more noticeable especially after the 2013 harmonised elections when some members of the Cabinet working with the G40 cabal had their eyes on grabbing power rather than service delivery.

It soon became clear that every developmental programme that did not further the interests of the G40 faction was opposed in public by members of the cabal.

This situation soon became untenable and eventually paralysed operations of Government. There was discord in the way Cabinet members operated, leaving no room for collective effort to develop the economy.

President Mnangagwa’s Cabinet should study how musical choirs conduct their business. Choirs do their music business diligently to ensure that they sing in unison to produce a melodious song that is also entertaining.

What is expected of the new Cabinet and all Government departments is to sing a single economic chorus focused on enhancing the development of the country.

They should draw a lesson from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book “Up and Out of Poverty” in which he characterises Government departments as musical outfits that should work in unison to produce good results.

To quote him: “We must all sing together, focusing on the theme of economic work. No matter whether the chorus is classical or pop, as long as there is a theme and a rhythm, it has an artistic appeal.

“With the same goal, concerted efforts and a unified voice, we will produce a melodious, resonant and beautiful song.”

Since he took over in November last year to finish off Mr Mugabe’s term, President Mnangagwa has demonstrated his determination to achieve rapid economic development.

We hope those he will appoint to Cabinet will complement him and ensure that Government departments under their ministries sing from the same hymn book.

With focus and unity, the new Government can easily come up with policies and programmes that help to turn around the economy in short period of time.

The vision is already laid, what is required now are those who will help President Mnangagwa push for the dream to be fulfilled.

What Zimbabwe needs the most is a clean Government, capable of building confidence among the people.

Those involved in both big time and petty corruption should not find space in the new Cabinet. Those who break the rules should be punished severely to placate the people who have been watching helplessly as bigwigs fatten their pockets.

President Mnangagwa should press ahead with his fight against corruption which has already gained traction.

His goal should not only be to develop the economy, but to have a clean and orderly Government as well.

With a clean Government in place, it is easy to win the people in the war to economic recovery, along the way ensuring that every Zimbabwean sings the same hymn, the same notes and the same rhythm of economic development.