THE partial immunity from prosecution granted to the Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono through amendments to the Reserve Bank Reform Bill "is a safe exit strategy" for a man under immense pressure to throw in the towel, political analysts said last week.
Parliament passed the Bill after it was amended to include a clause that gives partial immunity to Gono or any employee of the bank "for anything done in good faith and without negligence under the powers conferred by this Act".
Earlier in the week, Zanu PF MPs had threatened to block the Bill because they felt it was "targeted at an individual rather than an office".
But the analysts said by agreeing to a clause that gives immunity to Gono, Zanu PF had, in a way, endorsed calls for the central bank chief to make way for fresh ideas.
They said Zanu PF can no longer bear with the pressure from both MDC and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on the resolution of the outstanding issues to the power-sharing agreement with the MDC factions.
The MDC-T has been pushing for the removal of Gono from the RBZ accusing him of destroying the economy through quasi-fiscal policies and recklessly funding Zanu PF programmes.
A Sadc ministerial team that assessed the implementation of power-sharing agreement between Zanu PF and the two MDC formations recommended that Gono should be reassigned to save the shaky coalition from collapse.
University of Zimbabwe political scientist Eldred Masunungure said the immunity granted to Gono was to pave way for "a soft landing" for the troubled RBZ chief.
Masunungure said the fact that the immunity came through an amendment gives credence to speculation that Gono might soon be reassigned.
"This is meant to pave a way for soft landing and a trouble-free exit from the central bank," Masunungure said.
"It's a golden handshake for him and he will soon be reassigned to a politically invisible job where he will start a new life without being haunted by prospects of being prosecuted."
Another UZ science lecturer, John Makumbe agreed but described the immunity as a "costly" golden handshake.
Makumbe blasted the MDC formations for making such a "concession" saying it was an insult to Zimbabweans who suffered at the hands of Gono's poor quasi-fiscal policies.
"It's dangerous to give immunity to a person who destroyed our economy propping up Zanu PF," Makumbe said.
"I am furious about it. The MDC has no authority to grant anyone immunity."
After granting immunity to Gono, said Makumbe, it will be a contradiction to prosecute all those fingered in a recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General Mildred Chiri.
In her report for the first quarter of 2009 financial year tabled in Parliament recently, she said members of President Robert Mugabe's previous administration took advantage of a vacuum in government to loot state property.
The report revealed that state assets such as cars, laptops, computers, fax machines, cell phones and spares for vehicles were stolen by ministers, deputies and other senior government officials.
"Chiri has done a brilliant audit. What is Biti going to do to the ministers who looted vehicles and laptops when he is giving the chief culprit immunity?" Makumbe asked.
But Finance Minister Tendai Biti who at one time called Gono "the country's number one enemy said the Bill did not provide immunity for cases of theft, fraud or a breach of the law.
"The new provision in the Bill simply says those officials who acted in good faith and without negligence will not be liable to prosecution.
"It does not say anywhere that where there has been theft, fraud or where there has been a breach of the law, the people should not be prosecuted," Biti said.
The Bill, which faces further scrutiny in the Zanu PF-dominated Senate, will reduce the powers of the governor and restrict the bank to core business of dealing with interest rates, currency management and regulating banks.
The governor's core function would be to chair a planned monetary policy committee.
However, the central bank governor would continue to chair the RBZ board.
Biti proposed cutting to two deputy governors from the four catered for under the current law.
Critics blame Gono for policies that crippled the economy, stoking inflation by printing money and taking over functions of the national treasury, including buying farming inputs and extending financial support to government departments.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe are locked in a dispute on how to share power, with the MDC-T leader accusing the veteran ruler of refusing to appoint a new central bank governor and attorney general as part of their political pact signed last year.
Mugabe has vowed that Gono will not be sacked.
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Only a stupid idiotic fool will believe what the Standard Newspaper and its so-called analysts are saying. Gono is not going anywhere, thus, he is in that seat to stay.
President Mugabe has stated clearly and categorically that Gono is going to finish his term because he was appointed in accordance with the laws of the country. Anything else is just wishful thinking by those who wish to see Dr Gono's back. They will have to contend with seeing his face more often, and for the next five years.
The Bill gives immunity not only to a serving Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe but also to previous Governors who did anything "in good faith and without negligence under the powers conferred by this Act". How then is this Bill a "soft landing or golden handshake" for Dr Gono? Why are you not saying the Bill is a "soft landing or golden handshake" for Dr Gonos predecessor as well?
Dr Gono did not destroy our economy, it was Biti and Tsvangi and their sellout party that campaigned for sanctions which have resulted in the miserable lives we were leading before the Zanu-pf government introduced multiple currencies in our economy through the advice of Dr Gono.
Dr Gono is a loyal, dedicated and professional expert who made sure that the ruinous sanctions campaigned for by Biti and Tsvangi do not completely destroy our country's economy.
Had it not been for Dr Gono, our newly resettled farmers would not have produced the amount of staple food they harvested last year (2008/09 season). Had it not been for Dr Gono, the many companies that survived western sanctions would have folded by now. Had it not been for Dr Gono all municipalities, including Harare, would be non-existent by now.
So you can, therefore, see that Dr Gono did a wonderful job of keeping all the sectors of the economy running under very difficult conditions of strangulation by barbaric imperialists led by the Blair and now the Brown regimes and assisted by the Bush and now the Obama regimes.
I have noticed takunya_ndebvu consistently commenting on all articles published by the Standard - it is systematic and has a clear political message - and I would therefore assume there is some pro Zim government PR structure in place here.
takunya_ndebvu - don't think we can't see what you are doing.
Lets go through this...
"Only a stupid idiotic fool will believe..."
Nothing but propaganda speak there.
"President Mugabe has stated clearly and categorically that Gono is going to finish his term because he was appointed in accordance with the laws of the country."
Doesnt mean that Mugabe wont change his mind. And the assertion that Gono's appointment is in line with the GPA is clearly debateable.
"Anything else is just wishful thinking by those who wish to see Dr Gono's back. They will have to contend with seeing his face more often, and for the next five years."
I am willing to bet this doesnt happen. There are already signs that he is on the way out, even from the ZANU PF side.
"The Bill gives immunity not only to a serving Governor of the Reserve Bank"
Tell me... what does Gono require immunity? Has he done something illegal?
"How then is this Bill a "soft landing or golden handshake" for Dr Gono? Why are you not saying the Bill is a "soft landing or golden handshake" for Dr Gonos predecessor as well? "
ITs pretty much assumed that a full audit of Zimbabwe's national accounts will bring up corruption to the extreme. And this immunity will save those that have been corrupt.
"Dr Gono did not destroy our economy"
I guess printing the Zimbabwean Dollar out of existance didnt have any effect on inflation?
"it was Biti and Tsvangi and their sellout party that campaigned for sanctions"
When did they campaign for sanctions? More lies.
"which have resulted in the miserable lives we were leading before the Zanu-pf government introduced multiple currencies"
I guess corruption to the extreme had nothing to do with it? How many farms do Grace and Rob own? How many other farms that were once productive have produced didly squad as a result of Mugabe's land theft?
" in our economy through the advice of Dr Gono. "
Was it Gono or Biti?
"Dr Gono is a loyal, dedicated "
Yes.
"and professional"
No
"expert"
Hell no!
"who made sure that the ruinous sanctions campaigned for by Biti and Tsvangi"
Again... they never campaigned for sanctions
"do not completely destroy our country's economy"
Yes, it was the government that destoryed the economy
"Had it not been for Dr Gono, our newly resettled farmers would not have produced the amount of staple food they harvested last year (2008/09 season)"
Yes... the would have produced a hell of a lot more.
"Had it not been for Dr Gono, the many companies that survived western sanctions would have folded by now."
In a lot less would have folded in the first place.
"Had it not been for Dr Gono all municipalities, including Harare, would be non-existent by now."
Again more baseless nonsense.
So you can, therefore, see that Mr Gono did a pathetic job of keeping all the sectors of the economy running under the justified conditions of restrictive measures led by the Blair and now the Brown governments and assisted by the Bush and now the Obama government.
Awt_The_Coloniser;
"" in our economy through the advice of Dr Gono." Was it Gono or Biti?"
Biti was nowhere near government structure when multiple currencies were introduced - some three months before the sellout party finally decided to join the Unity Government. At that time it was Minister Patrick Chinamasa who was acting minister of Finance and it was Minister Chinamasa who presented the budget that was used by Biti three months later. So you can see that Biti has not done anything tangible in the inclusive government.
By the way Dr Gono is the one who proposed and drafted STERP that was again used by Biti when he became minister of Finance in Feb'09. In fact until this day Biti has not come up with anything of his own. He is just plagiarizing from the writings of Dr Gono who did so as a professional adviser to government. Dr Gono is therefore more than professional and is an expert in his field of finance.
Takunya, you must know by now that no one takes you seriously on here.
You havent answerd my question... what has Gono done to require immunity?
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