OPPOSITION political parties and labour unions have expressed shock at claims by President Robert Mugabe that the country’s economy is on the mend when all signs showed otherwise.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said Mugabe’s declaration during his State of the Nation Address on Tuesday was nothing short of “a prophecy of doom”.
“The economy is definitely not on the recovery path. It’s no longer on life support. It’s now certified dead. An economy that is 96% informalised is a dead economy. Mugabe is obviously living in his own world, his pronouncement can only be prophecy of doom,” he said.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general, Japhet Moyo said from Mugabe’s address, it was clear he could be living in another country, where there were no bank queues, no bond notes and where factory were operating.
“We are not even sure that jobs will still be there come 2017. People are being forced to use bond notes and some are going without meals, yet Mugabe says the economy is recovering. His government cannot simply pay workers. What recovery is that?” he said.
Mugabe said the introduction of Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 was the catalyst turning around the comatose economy.
Social commentator, Rashweat Mukundu said it was clear Mugabe was not in touch with reality.
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“The economy is, on the contrary, shrinking according to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, with 2017 likely to be worse. The President’s statement is an indication of disconnection with reality,” he said.
In a policy shift, Mugabe agreed to rationalise the bloated civil service, saying this would result in a leaner and economic structure.
Mukundu said, while Mugabe’s government had been stubborn and harsh on Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa over proposing austerity measures, common sense had now prevailed.
“The civil service rationalisation was put down by Mugabe from a political standpoint, but it makes economic sense. It is a bitter pill, but one that Zimbabwe has to swallow and austerity measures must extend to all facets of government, including a cut in the number of ministries, and luxuries extended to senior government and political leaders,” he said.
People’s Democratic Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said: “His (Mugabe) government shifts positions like offal in a dish. You can no longer make sense of the policy positions that are announced by the pretence to a government that is headed by Mugabe.”
