PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s State of the Nation Address was more of a Zanu PF manifesto devoid of any pragmatic strategies to arrest the country’s free falling economy, analysts have said.
BY EVERSON MUSHAVA/TARISAI MANDIZHA
On Tuesday, Mugabe delivered his much-awaited national address at a time the country was facing a debilitating economic crisis that has triggered over 30 000 job losses after a Supreme Court ruling that okayed termination of employee contracts on three months’ notice.
Media and Democracy scholar Pedzisai Ruhanya said Mugabe’s statement was a “wish list” which did not provide answers to how his government would achieve its intended goals.
“The State of the Nation Address was supposed to address the livelihood problem that has been caused by his government’s failed economic policies and the refusal to embrace modern democratic governance practices,” he said.
Economist John Robertson said Mugabe’s 10-point plan for economic growth was not a solution to the current challenges the country was going through.
“They say they want to overcome corruption, but it will not be allowed by the people in Zanu PF. They say they want to restore agriculture, but it’s not possible until the land is back on the commercial market,” he said.
“The 10-point plan is not the solution until government corrects the conditions that will make the investor want to invest in Zimbabwe. We need guidance on the way forward, but there is no guidance in that statement.”
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Political analyst Takura Zhangazha said: “The State of the Nation Address, brief as it was, re ected a government keen on pleasing international investors more than the people of Zimbabwe.
“And this is the stark reality of its neo-liberal intentions under the aegis of State capitalism. We would do well to ask for social democracy sooner or su ffer the burden of our ongoing economic downturn coupled with general political repression.”
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Busisa Moyo said: “We think the 10-point plan was on point, but people are anxious to get the economy going and to get economic growth. There is a lot of anxiety out there. There is need to get this going because the economy is bleeding. The only answer is implementation as fast as possible.”
