News / National
Mugabe admits Zanu-PF govt has failed
25 Feb 2014 at 08:57hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Sunday admitted the Zanu-PF government had dismally failed to provide employment opportunities to thousands of students churned out of tertiary institutions each year with a paltry 2 150 getting employed annually out of 21 000.
Mugabe, whose party resoundingly won last July's harmonised elections using job creation as its trump card, admitted falure while addressing some 10 000 guests at his 90th birthday celebrations in Marondera, 70km east of the capital, Harare.
"We don't look successful in trying to solve youth unemployment," Mugabe admitted.
"14 500 were estimated to be produced from universities, 7 000 from polytechnics and colleges, but only 10% of them have had access to formal employment. Needless to say, we have to act on that."
Mugabe's remarks came barely a week after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) disclosed that 9 617 workers had lost their jobs since December 2013 after a combined 75 companies failed to reopen in January.
ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo said most of the affected employees worked for companies that were liquidated or forced to restructure as a result of the current liquidity crunch.
Mugabe's admission of failure in creating jobs came as Zanu-PF battles to sell its widely criticised economic blueprint dubbed Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) aimed at creating over 2 million jobs in the next five years.
The country's unemployment rate, according to independent analysts and the World Bank, stands at nearly 90% with most people forced to join the swelling ranks of the informal sector to eke out a living.
Mugabe, until last week blamed, the European Union and United States sanctions as the reasons for economic decline in the last decade, but on Sunday conceded that corruption and maladministration in public enterprises and quasi-government parastatals were at the core of the country's economic misery.
Despite its disputed two-thirds majority victory in the July 31 general polls, Zanu-PF is finding it difficult to resuscitate the floundering economy.
Speaking also at the lavish birthday bash, Mashonaland East Zanu-PF provincial chairman Ray Kaukonde said that it was time for the government to act and alleviate hunger.
"We won and we have to make sure people have breakfast, lunch and dinner. We want to work and succeed especially in (Finance minister Patrick) Chinamasa's ministry," Kaukonde said.
Mugabe, whose party resoundingly won last July's harmonised elections using job creation as its trump card, admitted falure while addressing some 10 000 guests at his 90th birthday celebrations in Marondera, 70km east of the capital, Harare.
"We don't look successful in trying to solve youth unemployment," Mugabe admitted.
"14 500 were estimated to be produced from universities, 7 000 from polytechnics and colleges, but only 10% of them have had access to formal employment. Needless to say, we have to act on that."
Mugabe's remarks came barely a week after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) disclosed that 9 617 workers had lost their jobs since December 2013 after a combined 75 companies failed to reopen in January.
ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo said most of the affected employees worked for companies that were liquidated or forced to restructure as a result of the current liquidity crunch.
Mugabe's admission of failure in creating jobs came as Zanu-PF battles to sell its widely criticised economic blueprint dubbed Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset) aimed at creating over 2 million jobs in the next five years.
The country's unemployment rate, according to independent analysts and the World Bank, stands at nearly 90% with most people forced to join the swelling ranks of the informal sector to eke out a living.
Mugabe, until last week blamed, the European Union and United States sanctions as the reasons for economic decline in the last decade, but on Sunday conceded that corruption and maladministration in public enterprises and quasi-government parastatals were at the core of the country's economic misery.
Despite its disputed two-thirds majority victory in the July 31 general polls, Zanu-PF is finding it difficult to resuscitate the floundering economy.
Speaking also at the lavish birthday bash, Mashonaland East Zanu-PF provincial chairman Ray Kaukonde said that it was time for the government to act and alleviate hunger.
"We won and we have to make sure people have breakfast, lunch and dinner. We want to work and succeed especially in (Finance minister Patrick) Chinamasa's ministry," Kaukonde said.
Source - newsday
