Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whose country is suffering from record inflation and experiencing shortages of basic foodstuffs, declared on Wednesday the economy was on the road to recovery.
Mugabe, addressing Parliament days after his ruling party gave him the green light to extend his rule for another two years, said that tie-ups with new allies in Asia had helped bring about a turnaround in the country’s fortunes.
The 82-year-old, in power since independence in 1980, said that thanks to the launch of a new economic blueprint in April ”and the policy gains deriving from our look-East policy, the economy is on the recovery path”.
”Once more I wish to pay tribute to our people for their resilience and to all our look-East partners for their sterling display of solidarity at the time of our greatest need,” Mugabe said in his address.
Since the European Union and United States boycotted his government in 2002 after disputed presidential election results, Mugabe has been steadily forging new relations with countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Mugabe said his government had signed several joint venture mining projects with Chinese companies while plans were under way to open mineral marketing offices in the Chinese commercial hub of Shanghai.
Trade promotion officers were also being deployed to Beijing, Mumbai and Jakarta, he said.
Despite a stream of high-profile agreements with its new allies, Zimbabwe has so far been unable to revive its ailing economy.
Inflation is currently running at 1 098% and unemployment is believed to have passed the 70% mark. Food staples such as bread and cooking oil are now in short supply in a country that was regarded as Southern Africa’s breadbasket little more than a decade ago.
The address was boycotted by a faction of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai which has voiced its fury at plans by the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union — Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) to delay the next presidential elections from 2008 until 2010.
Under Mugabe, the Zimbabwe health system has badly deteriorated with life expentancy falling to 34 for women and 37 for men.
In his speech, Mugabe acknowledged that the health system was in crisis, with understaffed hospitals operating with makeshift equipment.
Mugagbe said that he wanted to reverse a tide of emigration by health professionals in order to put the health service back on track.
”The health sector continues to face challenges, which include the shortage of essential drugs and critical equipment as well as the unending brain drain,” Mugabe said.
”To curb the exodus of medical staff, plans are under way to re-introduce the cadetship programme, while graduates will be bonded to the service of the state for a period equal to the period of their training.”
He said his government would also join forces with private companies in a new project to lure back experts who have left to work overseas. – Sapa-AFP