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NewsDay

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ED missed post-coup golden opportunity: Welsh

Politics
MDC vice-president Welshman Ncube says Zimbabwe is in a mess after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s failed to take advantage of local and international goodwill which his administration received after the November 2017 coup which toppled long-time ruler, Robert Mugabe.

MDC vice-president Welshman Ncube says Zimbabwe is in a mess after President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s failed to take advantage of local and international goodwill which his administration received after the November 2017 coup which toppled long-time ruler, Robert Mugabe.

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

Ncube said Mnangagwa missed a golden opportunity to implement far-reaching reforms, resulting in questions around his legitimacy and economic turmoil.

“People had a lot of goodwill for Emmerson (President). Lots of countries in the world were saying let us give them a chance. Some people even here were saying let’s give him a chance though some of us knew that they do not merit any chance because they are the same old junta that propped up Mugabe,” he said.

“So really they have squandered that goodwill in terms of inability to unite the nation, to implement the constitution and to do the political thing that ought to be done which in fact is the underlining cause of the upsets of legitimacy arising from the failed elections.”

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s austerity measures have been blamed for the economic turmoil amid government warnings that the road to economic prosperity will be bumpy.

“The State and government is doing absolutely nothing unless you call attempts to squeeze more money from the people through the grossly cruel and unfair electronic transactions tax of 2% as a policy,” Ncube said saying he predicted more labour unrest as long as the bond notes remain in circulation.

“The economy is on a free fall. The primary cause or trigger of this crisis as we predicted two years ago is the introduction of bond notes. Labour unrest will continue as long as you have inflation… we have a government which cannot even begin to articulate what policy intervention they are making in order to address the basic shortages of fuel,” said Ncube.