News / National
Mugabe entering his 36th year in charge of Zimbabwe
01 Jan 2016 at 12:17hrs | Views
Robert Mugabe will be entering his 36th year in charge of Zimbabwe. His official birth certificate tells us he will be 92 in February 2016.
His wife graciously told the nation that he would be willing to captain the ship of state from the comfort of a wheel chair - such were the fawning pleas of his lieutenants and subordinates at the Zanu-PF congress in December for him to stay on and impart his wisdom.
As thousands of fired civil servants enter the New Year jobless, Harare has forged stronger economic ties with China by accepting the Chinese renminbi as a currency of trade.
Zimbabweans will be getting used to using the renminbi as one of their main everyday currencies since the abandonment of the billion dollar notes back in 2009.
The world at large has been unkind over this new deal, claiming that Zimbabwe has now become a Chinese colony.
But it comes as no surprise to many Zimbabweans, for President Mugabe has always preferred to "look East" to China for his economic ties.
The US dollar and pound sterling, however, remain legal tender in a country rich in diamonds yet exporting little to fill the national coffers and regularly in need of food aid.
The falling South African rand is no longer the currency of choice for Zimbabweans - and South Africa's new Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will have his work cut out trying to calm markets and reassure investors. How he fares could decide President Jacob Zuma's legacy as the politicking begins over succession for 2019.
His wife graciously told the nation that he would be willing to captain the ship of state from the comfort of a wheel chair - such were the fawning pleas of his lieutenants and subordinates at the Zanu-PF congress in December for him to stay on and impart his wisdom.
As thousands of fired civil servants enter the New Year jobless, Harare has forged stronger economic ties with China by accepting the Chinese renminbi as a currency of trade.
Zimbabweans will be getting used to using the renminbi as one of their main everyday currencies since the abandonment of the billion dollar notes back in 2009.
The world at large has been unkind over this new deal, claiming that Zimbabwe has now become a Chinese colony.
But it comes as no surprise to many Zimbabweans, for President Mugabe has always preferred to "look East" to China for his economic ties.
The US dollar and pound sterling, however, remain legal tender in a country rich in diamonds yet exporting little to fill the national coffers and regularly in need of food aid.
The falling South African rand is no longer the currency of choice for Zimbabweans - and South Africa's new Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan will have his work cut out trying to calm markets and reassure investors. How he fares could decide President Jacob Zuma's legacy as the politicking begins over succession for 2019.
Source - BBC
