ZANU PF secretary for Youth Affairs Absolom Sikhosana says government will not be able to create the 2 265 million jobs the ruling party promised in its election manifesto because of sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Dumisani Sibanda
Sikhosana was responding to questions from journalists at a Press conference at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare on Tuesday.
“We are going to create jobs . . . but if you followed our strategy in our manifesto, you have got to accept we will not be able to create as many jobs as we would have loved to due to the imperialists’ continuing with their sanctions regime,” he said.
“We are going to create those jobs, but with limitations. If sanctions were removed we were going to create as many jobs as possible. We would have a situation where jobs are looking for the people instead of the other way round. But, certainly sanctions or no sanctions we are going to create jobs. We are going to empower the people as Zanu PF. We resolved on doing that with or without the sanctions. We are going ahead.”
In its manifesto, Zanu PF promised to create 2 265 million jobs in the next five years as part of an economic growth initiative based on the economic empowerment and indigenisation drive.
“Obviously the sanctions will take their toll (on job creation),” Sikhosana said.
“They are very serious in impeding our achievements. It’s like you are fighting with one hand and you cannot do as much damage to the opponents as when using both hands.”
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However, the Zanu PF youth leader did not give the number of jobs the Zanu PF government was now aiming at because of the reported sanctions problem.
He castigated countries including Britain and the United States that have maintained targeted sanctions after the July 31 elections despite calls by the Southern African Development Community to lift the embargoes.
