'Economy will grow 6%' insist Ncube (Tsvangirai mark 2) - not without real political change first

"Zimbabwe will be joining the group of six countries which have the fastest growing economies with a growth rate of six percent per annum which comprise Rwanda, Ghana, Tanzania and Ivory Coast," said Prof Ncube.

"We have a policy direction in terms of our visions. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched vision 2030 which will drive the country to a middle-income economy with an income per capita of $3,500 by year 2030 through the pillars of stronger governance transparency, macro stability, inclusive growth infrastructure investment and social development."

Only 6%? Given how far down the country has sunk already, 6% economic growth rate is nothing. The GNU managed to achieve 12% growth rate in 2009 just by abolishing the Z$ and scrapping the ill-advised price controls.

The GNU failed to achieve sustained economic recovery because government failed to address the other key issues such as ending corruption and all the issues relating to bad governance. The GNU failed to get even one democratic reform implemented and thus confirming that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state and so no investors came into the country and so the companies continued to close down.

By rigging the recent elections, Zanu PF has once again send out the message that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by vote rigging thugs. It is shocking that Minister Ncube still cannot get his head round this key political reality.

Power can be as intoxicating as alcohol or cocaine and many, many individual have complete lost their heads the minute they get a taste of holding high public office.

The late Morgan Tsvangirai had his head in the clouds ever since the day he was sworn in as Prime Minister in February 2009. He was not one to listen to anyone as the USA ambassador to Zimbabwe, Chris Dell, noted in 2004. Tsvangirai "was a flawed and indecisive character and not given to listening to good advice" said the ambassador then. Prime Minister Tsvangirai listened to no one!

In June 2009 Tsvangirai visited western countries like UK, Germany and USA, he was the first African leader to meet America's new President, Barack Obama. His mission was to persuade the West not only to lift the targeted sanctions against Zanu PF leaders but had nation-size begging bowl to collect the large donations needed to bankroll Zimbabwe's economic recovery.

The western leaders send Tsvangirai back home with an empty begging bowl; they told him Zimbabwe was still a corrupt pariah state. They ignored Tsvangirai's assertion that Mugabe had changed. "He is a democrat, I know because I have tea with him every Tuesday!" he insisted.

Indeed, whilst Tsvangirai was visiting there were reports of fresh white-owned farm invasions by Zanu PF thugs; just to prove Tsvangirai was talking nonsense!

In Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, it is clear we have yet another Morgan Tsvangirai. Like Tsvangirai, Ncube has his head in the clouds he is not listening to anyone else. He is simply not listen to the simple reality that by rigging the elections President Mnangagwa has just confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state. The flood of investors will never happen because investors do not do business with vote rigging thugs!

It is not enough to say "Zimbabwe is open for business!" when the country remains a pariah state whose next regime change is either another military coup or violent street protests. Zimbabwe must embrace genuine political change designed to dismantle the de facto one-party dictatorship and replacing it with a healthy and functional democratic system of government. Only then will Zimbabwe be truly open for business and only then will it achieve 12% plus economic growth rates.