Benjamin Mpofu

Fancy myself as a Marxist Pan- Africanist with a keen interest in building the Afropolitan. I serve academic institutions with the few skill sets I hold.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@RexMidzi @DrGugu_Ncube @SANDEJAQ @adon_rei @hamlet_matavire @jahman_adamski @MakomboreroH @freemanchari @waltermzembi @CdeNMaswerasei @FreddyNyamande @Mavhure @Zvoutete14 Get away mhani

[Prof Jonathan Moyo @ProfJNMoyo]

GUSHUNGO: The legacy lives on. Continue to rest in power forever!

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@waltermzembi Iwe zvineyi newe you called the very process that produced them sham. Tibvireyi. Kusanyara.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@Hon_Kasukuwere He is turning in his grave nekutengesa Nyika kwako

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@waltermzembi The height of your hypocrisy never seizes to amaze me!

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@Hon_Kasukuwere Surely, if you want to lead an entire nation wouldn’t it be prudent to firstly understand the very laws that govern it? No Sir, no one is running away you just failed to follow due process.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@Hon_Kasukuwere You can’t way they ran away when I’m reality you failed to follow a simple nomination process which opened you up to a legal challenge of which you failed to dismiss. A law you were party to implementing having being in government in 2013.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

Has passenger 34 got a return ticket 😆

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

Shefu mataura apa

[Prof Jonathan Moyo @ProfJNMoyo]

Well done and kudos Prof Mthuli Ncube. With your statement tonight, you have reverted to the right toolbox and demonstrated that at least government is ready and willing to put its mouth where its money is, principally to shore up the Zim dollar, which has come under untold pressure characterised by precipitous price hikes and volatile exchange rates with the threat of shortages of basic commodities looming on the horizon.

So, this is a commendable policy intervention by Minister Ncube.

It is encouraging that the thrust of his intervention is to beef up the local currency, and not to go the dollarisation track that some quarters are clamouring for.

Full dollarisation should indeed be out of the question, more so given that unlike in the 2008 doomsday scenario, exports have breached the USD 12 billion mark. In any case, the experience of countries like Argentina with dollarization is ugly and provides bad lessons of what not to do. It’s therefore prudent for Zimbabwe to remain a dualcurrency or multicurrency economy, while building up and strengthening the Zim dollar to become the dominant currency in due course. 

While it is always a daunting task to mend a roof with multiple leaks in the middle of a pounding and blinding storm of the kind currently battering the Zim economy, along with the welcome measures announced by Minister Ncube tonight, the basket of other or additional options could include the following: 

*For the Zim Dollar to eventually become the dominant currency, it would be wise to bite the bullet and liberalize the exchange rate sooner rather than later, such that the value of the currency must – as reasonably possible – be determined by demand and supply.

*Serious consideration should be given to benchmarking civil service salaries to the wage bills in the region if not in Sub-Saharan Africa.

*Government should consider paying contractors in forex (or ZWL at market determined exchange rate at point of payment) at reasonable or competitive prices for goods and services. This could have a positive impact because, currently, national projects are funded by way of paying contractors in ZWL which they immediately take to the market to get value. In essence, they dump their currency at the point of receipt. Notably, over the years, Zimbabweans have become oriented to work and deal on the basis that the minute they get Zim dollars, they want to dump them for forex.

It seems that if demand is created for the Zim dollars, contractors would most likely keep the Zim dollars in their accounts and exchange them only on a need basis. After all, it is a normal global practice to promote savings, but if somehow a country cannot do that with its own currency, then it necessarily fuels artificial demand for forex.

*In order to create demand for the local currency, all not just some taxes should be paid in ZWL.

*Capital projects should be funded by long term financing from external lenders.

*At long last, there's now a clear and present opportunity to pursue privatization as a viable option for funding roads, dams, electricity, water and telecoms. And, taking a leaf from Russia’s recent experience, consideration should be given to sell some prized State assets in ZWL.

Otherwise, the measures in the statement by Minister Ncube are an appropriate, significant and timely step in the right direction. But of course the devil is in the cooperation challenge: measures like these have the best chance of success where and when everyone in the economy and across the political divide is ready and willing to play their part!

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@TinoChinyoka @nickmangwana And that’s exactly what GVT is saying

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

Rega vadzidze

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

Zanu PF: Stability, Economic Transformation, Infrastructure Development, Social Programs, Pan-Africanism, Youth Empowerment, Grassroots Support. A comprehensive vision for a better Zimbabwe. #ZanuPF #ZimbabweElections #NyikaInovakwaNeveneVayo #VoteZanuPF

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

PLEASE NOT THIS IS NOT UER OFFICIAL ACCOUNT!

[Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri @OppaMuchinguri]

Zimbabwe is open for business. The second republic has successfully brought back to life, our economy which was on its knees.

[mmatigari @matigary]

Here in Dotito, people are saying chii chinonzi Aljazeera? Inoita nezvei and why does it matter. They asked as they voted overwhelmingly in Zanu PF primaries.

Another elder said hatiite zveJazira kuno itai ikoko.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@jahman_adamski Is this to be read as “heavy files” something anyone can google? Take us seriously man ibva po

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@joseph_kalimbwe You don’t have the power do see your own President let along stop a flight. You must shut up.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@UebertAngel Baba imi hamusi makuzvinyanya here. Hendai munotengera mukadzi wenyu gift makanyarara mhani. Gherara here man shit.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@TheSouthernAfr3 @edmnangagwa @DeptCommsZW @BusisaMoyo @mhofela_mhofu @matigary @Tinoedzazvimwe1 @nickmangwana @MthuliNcube @edmnangagwa mapedza sports

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

@joseph_kalimbwe Ironically in Zambia you have changed leaders 7 times to only not own anything! Copper mines not yours, farms perhaps to a degree, financial sector completely foreign. Not withstanding housing due to earlier policies. You see my brother change doesn’t always mean transformation.

[Benjamin Mpofu @benjamin_mpofu]

The new and improved version of a Pan African slogan. Every African nation should adopt this as a national mantra!