Accessibility links

Breaking News

Zimbabweans Project Difficult Times in 2016


Zimbabweans express a negative outlook over the country’s 2016 economic prospects with some saying nothing will change for the better as the same methods of trying to fix the economy have been used several times without any success.

The general belief among some Zimbabweans is that the economic situation will worsen this coming year owing to lack of prudent ways of tackling it.

They say economic blue prints like the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, which needs almost $27 billion to implement, and the 10-point plan crafted by President Robert Mugabe’s government early this year won’t revive the economy.

Both economic concepts focus on the utilization of local resources to kick start the economy, payment of the crippling external debt of more than $8 billion, and the indigenization of the economy, among others.

But independent political analyst Takura Zhangazha says all this is not working and as a result, the coming year is set to be tough for Zimbabweans.
Zhangazha says indications are that prices of basic commodities, health services and school fees will go up next year.

Spokesperson Obert Gutu of the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai echoes the same sentiments, adding that the gloomy economic prospects next year stem from the insignificant growth recorded in 2015.

His colleague in opposition politics, Jacob Mafume of the People’s Democratic Party, adds that it is impossible to turn around the economy as current leaders are not God-fearing people.

Some people had hoped that Chinese president Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Zimbabwe would help in resuscitating the economy following reports that the two nations signed so-called mega deals to revive power stations and other projects that are normally associated with boosting the economy in functional economies.

Zhangazha says these deals won’t directly benefit most Zimbabweans.
But Pentecostal Assemblies of God pastor Tawanda Munaki strongly believes that 2016 is a year of economic and social revival.

Some critics say there is need for government to implement all the necessary political and electoral reforms that will pave the way for free, fair, credible and uncontested elections.

They say such moves will attract the much-needed foreign direct investment. But all this may be unachievable in the short-term as the next general poll is in 2018.

please wait

No media source currently available

0:00 0:06:52 0:00
Direct link

XS
SM
MD
LG