'Mnangagwa being lied to by his ministers'

Gift Mugano, an economist and government critic, criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration, suggesting that his ministers were providing misleading information about the state of the economy.

This criticism came in response to Mnangagwa's State of the Nation Address (Sona), in which he stated that Zimbabwe's mining and healthcare sectors had shown significant improvement.

Mugano, who was recently removed from the Zimtrade board, expressed skepticism about the figures presented by Mnangagwa, asserting that they did not align with the actual situation.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Mugano stated, "Ministers are misleading @edmnangagwa on the state of the economy and economic progress. During the State of the Nation Address @edmnangagwa reported that the mining sector has grown to US$12 billion up from US$2,8 billion in 2017."

Despite the government's ambitious plan to develop a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023, the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe had previously predicted that the sector would generate US$7 billion the following year. Factors such as high operational costs, rolling power outages, and a projected global recession were expected to hinder the industry's growth.

Mugano went on to question the accuracy of Mnangagwa's claims about the agricultural sector, which the president said had risen from US$5.7 billion to around US$8 billion in 2023. When combining the GDP figures for the mining and agricultural sectors provided by the president, Mugano argued that they added up to US$20 billion, which was supposedly the current size of the economy. However, he pointed out that Zimbabwe's GDP as of August 11, 2023, was ZWL$120.3 trillion, equivalent to US$20 billion at the official exchange rate.

Mugano raised concerns about whether this implied that other sectors such as manufacturing and services had significantly diminished if the mining and agricultural sectors now constituted the entire GDP.

He also criticized Mnangagwa's presentation at the United Nations General Assembly, where the president claimed to have built a thriving healthcare system. Mugano disputed this assertion, pointing out the severe strain on Zimbabwe's healthcare system, including shortages of essential items like drugs, consumables, critical equipment, and personnel.

Mugano emphasized the importance of accurate and credible information for economic planning and development, particularly since the services sector accounted for 60% of the economy, with the remaining 40% shared among mining, manufacturing, and agriculture. He urged the government to transparently share credible statistics and reports on economic performance.