Zimbabwe economy on the verge of collapsing

Zimbabwe is experiencing economic turmoil probably because of lack of priorities and policy inconsistency. We have serious economic complications in this country because of failure to adhere to good economic principles. We need a principle government. Chinamasa must come up with important and critical economic reforms. We have dug a big hole for us which is difficult to come out. We should never play games with the economy, and I would like to advise the opposition that never involve politics in building the economy but the opposition should give guidance and mentorship on national economic recovery plan.

Foreign Trips and Globe Trotting

If you look at the number of foreign trips which is consuming the treasury funds, I tell you we are going nowhere. We need a principled government to serve the plight of its own people. The problem is not sanctions in Zimbabwe, but we have put sanctions for ourselves, we are not principled, and most of these government officials are bleeding the economy by withdrawing unnecessary allowances. If one can withdraw millions per trip yet Edgar Lungu of Zambia is withdrawing $40 000 then it does not make sense. Chinamasa need to implement this urgently to avoid unnecessary bleeding on our beloved country. Most senior Government officials from different ministries are milking the treasury a lot by coming up with unnecessary trips which do not add value to the Government, so that they can withdraw allowances. These trips are should be condemned at uttermost, because the country at large does not benefit from these useless trips.

Bond Notes Are a Temporal Solution

We need a real solution on the economy of Zimbabwe. We dont grow money on trees, but we have to rather work hard, come up with good sound policies, and our major challenge we have as Zimbabweans is that we have so many good documents on paper such as JUICE, ZIM ASSET, BUILD ETC but if you critically examine all these documents you may easily discover that the are one and same things, but our real major challenge is implementation. Bond notes are flooding the market, and the major back up of the unites states dollar is a major challenge, the US currency is vanishing from the market, and if the Government does not urgently provide the solution we may soon find ourselves in a serious liquidity crunch and the collapse will definitely collapse and major basic goods will disappear from the shelves. we need capital injection so that we will be able to increase our production capacity.

The MPs Should Stop Demanding a Salary They Are Doing Nothing

If you listen to debates in our parliament honestly one would conclude that this is an ECD class, and to make matters worse, these debates are broadcasted at national television. Their debates are very shallow and misguided. We need a live parliament that should be tabling policy matters that contribute to national development. These MPs should stop complaining about allowances and salaries because so far they have not yet proved to the nation, that they are real MPs who deserve a salary. We have a nation that is starving, industry completely dead, breaking down of the rule of the law, human rights issues, policy inconsistency and this is what our parliamentarians should be seized with for now.

Zimbabwe Needs 10 Ministers Only

Since the inception of this current cabinet only few ministers are relevant to the daily needs of this country. We have Emmerson Mnangagwa, Joseph Made, Chinamasa, Bimha and Mbengegwi the rest should go. These are the same people who have been looting from different state companies. We need a vibrant cabinet comprising competent ministers who can deliver best results. As a development analyst I recommend the following ministries

- Information and publicity should merger with communication technology

- Defence should merge with home affairs

- Women, gender and youth should merge

- Finance should merger with policy planning and micro planning

- President office should fall under ministry of home affairs

- Justice should merge with home affairs

- Sports with youths

It's very painful that there are ministers who are drawing unnecessary allowances from the cabinet yet they are not even qualified to be in those positions and this is what the president should address urgently after a cabinet reshuffle. We need a reshuffle.

Chinese Deals Very Questionables

Chinese deals have destroyed this economy. We can never grow our economy on trees rather. We need capital injection for productivity purposes and at the same time by creating employment. We have a big problem with the Chinese deals. They bring their own resources, labour and human resources. We have a very big gap as a nation because we have handed most of these big projects to the Chinese and as a country we are not benefiting anything. There is a major beitbridge highway project which was set at 1.2 billion United States dollar. My question is who was given that contract on what basis? What was considered? What made them to arrive at those figures?

Local and Foreign Debts Hanging

It's very difficult to cure this economy probably because of serious debts hanging on our economy. We have a huge mountain to climb. Our local and external debt is hanging at 12 billion United States dollar. How then do we come out of such a debt? We need to be realistic, how did we get to such a debt? For example the RBZ comprising the issue of farmers and those who benefitted from the farm inputs years back and the debt was send to the Government to inherit it, and the debt was amounting to 1.2 billion. We must learn to eat what we kill as a nation.

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo heads Mentorship Institute of National Development and Sustainability (MINDS). He is a development analyst and consultant and he can be contacted at greatorminds@gmail.com