Political instability impeding Zimbabwe’s macro-economic recovery

On 29 January 2009 Zimbabwe stopped using its own inflation-ravaged currency, replacing it with a multi-currency regime dominated by the US dollar. The initiative cured the inflation challenge and brought about some stability. However, economic and human development indicators remain in the negative, largely due to the continued extreme polarisation and political instability that has been sustained under the power-sharing government of ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) and the two MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) formations.

In April this year, UNICEF’s ‘Child sensitive social protection in Zimbabwe’ estimated that 78 per cent of Zimbabweans are absolutely poor, while 55 per cent live below the food poverty line. This means some 6.6 million people, including 3.5 million children, suffer from chronic hunger. The United Nations estimates that about 770 mothers die in every 100,000 live births in Zimbabwe. Amnesty International this week revealed results of research carried at a community of 5,000 on Hopley Farm, south of Harare, which shows that an unusually high number of babies recently died in that community due to a lack of basic health facilities.

At a time when most people in the world are experiencing advances – for instance, the world average life expectancy from 1970 to 2010 increased from 59 to 70 years – for Zimbabwe, due to political strife, life expectancy has fallen gradually to the current 47 years. Recent statistics from the United Nations ‘Human development index report’ for 2010, combining health, education and wealth indicators, show that Zimbabwe is the least developed country, while Norway is the most developed.

The slow progress that was beginning to be experienced under Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government is now under threat as talk of coming elections has revived extreme polarisation and renewed political tensions. Indications are that fresh elections may fail to restore the political stability necessary for economic recovery and growth. Only last week Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri publicly stated that if elections are held in 2011 then only a result in which President Robert Mugabe is the winner will be acceptable. Such blatant partisan statements reveal the extent to which our police force is compromised, and, therefore, the depth of political instability.

It is a waste of time to talk of any meaningful socio-economic development in Zimbabwe in the absence of a solid foundation of political stability. This is why it is absolutely necessary for SADC (Southern African Development Community), the AU (African Union) and other international players to assist Zimbabweans to freely express their will as to who should govern them and to have that will respected. It is political instability, rather than the largely symbolic targeted travel restrictions and asset freezes for President Mugabe and his inner circle, that is responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic malaise. To ignore this and focus on phantom ‘sanctions’ as the major issue is to play political football with the lives of millions of Zimbabweans.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.