Zim ripe for dialogue: Is another Mbeki needed?

THE mood of bitterness is escalating across the political divide in Zimbabwe The situation in the country is not getting any better Zimbabwe is grappling with intertwined political and economic crises that mirror the turmoil preceding the 2008 government of national unity (GNU) The country’s current state marked by economic volatility, political fragmentation and social decay is a signal that it is ripe for a constructive transitional national dialogue

Just as in 2008, is another Thabo Mbeki needed to steer “political” conversations towards a new governance framework, akin to the GNU Two critical drivers of this state of affairs are: economic mismanagement arising from corruption and leadership incompetence, and bad governance arising from a political leadership crisis across political parties, coupled with entrenched political polarisation At present, the country’s economy has deteriorated sharply since the end of the GNU in 2013 The decommissioned RTGS currency lost 82% of its value in early 2024, followed by the new ZiG currency which depreciated by 47% in the third quarter of 2024

Annual inflation remains astronomically elevated at 85,7%, despite a marginal monthly decline to 0,6% Despite a positive growth forecast of 6% in 2025, up from 2% in 2024, this optimism is likely to be negatively impacted by systematic corruption Zimbabwe ranks 158th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, ninth among top 10 corrupt African countries and the worst in the Sadc region, ahead of the conflict-inflicted Democratic Republic of Congo This rating is an indictment of the country’s anti-corruption efforts

Agriculture, the country’s economic cornerstone is held hostage by climate shocks including the 2024 El Niño-induced drought The formal economic sector is struggling under regulatory burdens, pushing economic activities into the informal space On the contrary, during the GNU era (2009-2013), dollarisation stabilised inflation below 5%, and averaged GDP growth at 9% annually Revenues increased from 16% in 2009 to 36% of GDP by 2012

These were driven by reforms in tax collection and fiscal discipline, which lacks in the current national purse managers The current landscape, however, reflects a reversal of these gains, underscoring the link between political stability and economic performance.

Source: The Standard Zimbabwe