renowned economist, 90% of the education budget goes towards human resources, leaving a mere 10% to cater for
the rest of education needs. The austerity measures that are currently in place do not support the realisation of
socio-economic rights as evidenced by the continued incapacitation of key public sector employees, particularly
health and education professionals.
According to economists although efforts were being made by Minister of Finance to encourage market forces to
drive the economy, failure by government in creating employment means that they constantly need to provide
subsidies to cushion suffering Zimbabweans from price hikes, “Government must create employment for its people,
failure to do so as consequence, would mean that we have to live with subsidies. This leads to uncontrolled
expenditure and is unsustainable in the long run. If you look at the government’s appetite for spending and the
retention of subsidies there will certainly be an inflationary impact on the economy” said Mr Christopher Mugaga
the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Chief Executive.
Mugaga further alluded to the hasty enactment then reversal of policies whereby Minister Ncube announced that
grain subsidies would be scrapped, then President Mnangagwa announced that they would be re-instated stating
that these policy inconsistencies will have a negative impact on the economy. “The reversal of policies barely a
month after being announced leaves Zimbabwe in a quandary. This is basically command economy and not one led
by market forces. As it stands Minister Ncube did not budget for grain subsidies, but with the reversal of this decision
this means he has no choice but to come up with a supplementary budget at cost to government.”
This bleak picture painted by Mugaga brings to focus the need for a resolution to the country’s crisis. This was well
captured by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor who stated that
economic issues affecting Zimbabwe can only be resolved after a resolution on the political front. She said “It seems
clear as we support the call for an end of economic sanctions that the political dynamics that we observe are
inextricably linked to the economic solutions and thus the politics and the economic as well as the social need to be
confronted simultaneously. We are not going to achieve the economic resolution without resolving the political
intractable hostility and lack of … or social conjoining on finding a national solution.”2 it is statements such as this
2
https://www.voazimbabwe.com/a/zimbabwe-naledi-pandor-economic-problems/5173440.html
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