Zimbabwe’s veteran President Robert Mugabe was booed and heckled by opposition lawmakers over the deteriorating economy as he gave his state of the nation address to parliament Tuesday.
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Mugabe said he planned to amend the country’s investment laws, a move that might be seen as a climbdown from the tough stance on indigenisation.
In a wide-ranging discussion with journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Wednesday, Tsvangirai said criticism that the opposition has failed to help bring the country out of the current crisis is misplaced, adding it remains the responsibility of the ruling Zanu PF government to find solutions to the country’s problems.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says Mugabe has not been realistic and added that he no longer has a grip on economic developments in the country.
Human rights activist Itai Dzamara was abducted in March 9 this year by as yet unknown assailants, and is still missing.
“He chose to build castles in the air through painting a picture of a “peaceful Zimbabwe”.
“Mr Speaker Sir, I raise on a point of order that according to the Constitution of Zimbabwe”.
And now eight years after the 2007 state of the nation address, the economic situation appears to be worsening. “Establishing the Commission therefore promotes citizen participation in electoral processes”. “The small to medium sector has become the source of livelihood, ” he said.
It is a massive vote of no confidence in Zimbabwe’s ailing economy.
“The inclusion of government’s position on electoral reform would have given indication that our leadership is well aware of the integrity issues around our democracy and elections which is key to gaining and sustaining worldwide acceptance necessary for our economic growth”, said Chimhini.
The third largest super computer in Africa, the HPC can be used for socio-economic planning, numerical weather prediction, climate modelling and other applications to assist in informed decision making by policy makers, Mugabe said.
MDC Renewal Team Jacob Mafume chipped in, saying the basis of any economic recovery is based on predictability in terms of the law and policies and an impartial judiciary to deal with disputes that might arise.
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He promised to overhaul investment laws by the end of the year to make it easier to do business and attacked bosses of government-owned firms for huge monthly pay, which, he said “borders on the obscene, reflecting avarice and greed”.
