“Zimbabwe plans to start talks in early 2020 on clearing arrears on its international debt, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said, as it seeks to rebuild confidence in an economy ravaged by high inflation and shortages of hard currency and basic goods,” reported Reuters.
“Arrears on World Bank and African Development Bank loans total almost $2 billion, he said, and clearing that may be crucial to securing new funds to help lift the country out of crisis.”
Early 2020! Why wait?
Minister Ncube should know that banks are not interested in "talks", with all the talking he has been doing the debts would have been paid by now. Banks want money; real money, US$ and not RTGS$ or the up coming Z$!
Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, promised to sort out Zimbabwe’s outstanding debt with the IMF, WB, etc. when he took office in October 2018, nearly a year ago. He was cocksure he would have this done and dusted within months! Now we know it was all hot air!
This is just a catch 22! Zimbabwe needs financial assistance to revive its economy but first it must pay its long outstanding debt. Right now, the country is bankrupt, stone broke, and cannot even pay one dollar even if its very existence depended on it – what am I saying, its existence depends on it!
Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs; people like Professor Mthuli Ncube were added in the mix to give the regime some modicum of professionalism but no one was fooled. As long as the country remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery because no one likes to do business with thugs.
Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections, the regime is illegitimate; this is the starting point for Zimbabwe to end its pariah state curse. Zanu PF must step down to allow the appointment of an interim administration that will be tasked to implement the democratic reforms leading to free, fair and credible elections and a legitimate government.
The IMF, WB, G7 and the whole international community will be willing to negotiate a way out of this economic and political mess for Zimbabwe but only with a legitimate government, not this illegitimate Zanu PF regime!
Minister Ncube, you have been talking about clearing Zimbabwe's debts ever since you took office nearly a year ago. When are you going to stop wittering and pay. Banks are not interested in your feeble excuse, they want to be paid in money, real money, US$ and not your worthless RTGS$ or Bond Notes!
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and vote riging thugs; no one wants to do business with thugs. With no business the country will have no money to pay off the debts.
To end the pariah state, this illegitimate Zanu PF regime must step down! In the end it will step down!
An expectant mother has died at Mbuya Nehanda of suspected negligence.
ReplyDeleteHow long have we known that our health care service had all but completely collapsed, with no basic medicine, no equipment, no staff, etc. Minister of Health, Obadiah Moyo, admitted the other day that government was spending US$400 million a year in sending Zanu PF leaders outside the country for their health care needs becuse they know there is no local service.
This death is just one of many avoidable deaths happening everyday. One only hopes that the investigation will put the blame at the door of the Zanu PF regime and not the poor medical staff on duty on the day. We should not expect the staff to perform miracles!
"The IMF, WB, G7 and the whole international community will be willing to negotiate a way out of this economic and political mess for Zimbabwe but only with a legitimate government, not this illegitimate Zanu PF regime!" you are spot on there.
ReplyDeleteZanu PF rigged last year's elections and those that it would present the nation and world at large with a fait accompli Zanu PF government which they will have no choice but to accept. Zimbabweans, at least our corrupt and incompetent opposition, has all but accepted the regime but not so with the international community. The Americans has said the sanctions will stay and so the WB and IMF will not negotiate with Zanu PF.
Professor Mthuli Ncube has stubbornly maintained that the elections were free and fair, he had to in accepting his cushy new job. He is a sell-out and the international community were never fooled for one minute.
Why delay the talks and paying off the debt until 2020, another six months away? What would have change in Zimbabwe in that period? Nothing! The minister did not want to admit that his talks with the international community had stalled and it was pointless to pretend otherwise.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state there will be no meaningful economic recovery: this is a fact!
Ramaphosa special address.
ReplyDeleteWhen was this address made? It could not have been made 5 September 2019 because he is talking about gender violence and has said nothing about xenophobia violence at a time when SA is on fire!
Mnangagwa is a tyrant whose iron grip on power is totally dependent on the use of brute force. Nothing would please him more than to see other leaders use force too, he will not feel as guilty doing so himself!
ReplyDelete“I have no doubt that the authorities here will not fold their hands. They must bring sanity and to do so, they must use a bit of force,” said Emmerson Mnangagwa.
No doubt he will be please that the thugs heeded his advice and caused bloodshed. He can use that fact to justify his own use of force!
SA Minister’s Claims In Widely Circulated Video That Hillbrow Is 80% Occupied By Foreigners Can Not Be Substantiated.
ReplyDeleteThis is just failed leadership. If the ANC governments has made a mistake of allowing into the country too many foreigners, it should enact laws and have them removed in an orderly way and not allow lawless thugs do it. It is unforgivable that someone in a position of power and authority should be saying things that would only inflame the lawless thugs!
Conclusion: Current data does not support Johannesburg inner city is ‘80% foreign nationals’
A widely shared claim from 2017 by the former deputy police minister Bongani Mkongi that Johannesburg’s inner city is “80% foreign nationals” is unsubstantiated by the available data.
John Bradburne, who dedicated his life to the care of people with leprosy at Mutemwa in Mutoko, is on the path to receive sainthood from the Roman Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteBradburne will be officially declared a saint after the canonisation process is completed, an act by which a Christian church declares that a person who has died was a saint.
Speaking to journalists during a three-day cause for the declaration of Bradburne as a saint, which began yesterday, Kate Macpherson, secretary of the John Bradburne Memorial Society, said the last stage of him to be declared a saint lay in the hands of the Congregation of Saints in Rome, Italy, after they receive records of his works.
In a country that has seen so much suffering and death from self proclaimed heroes - a true hero at last!