Zim cabinet failing to deliver: Mugabe

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe has blamed his cabinet for failing to pull Zimbabwe out of a crippling economic crisis but did not say if underperforming ministers would be axed, a state newspaper reported on Saturday.

The “development cabinet” was appointed in April 2005 with a mandate to rescue the once flourishing nation from economic recession, rampant inflation, 70 per cent unemployment and shortages of foreign currency, food and fuel. In remarks made during an interview with state television and reported by the official Herald newspaper, Mugabe said his ministers had to a large extent failed to deliver.”There is a lot of self-centredness that one sees amongst my ministers,” he said.”There has not been much vigour shown and, therefore, there hasn’t been the necessary accomplishment of the goals that we have set ourselves.”The full interview was to be broadcast yesterday night, ahead of Mugabe’s 82nd birthday tomorrow.Analysts say Mugabe’s biggest challenge is confronting mass anger over a crumbling economy, which has declined by at least a third and is seen sliding further in the absence of bold economic and political reforms.Critics point to Mugabe’s policies, especially the seizure of farms from white commercial farmers for landless blacks for worsening the economic problems.Black farmers who benefited from the land seizures have been hamstrung by a lack of adequate commercial farming skills and shortages of inputs like fertiliser and seed, further crippling the agriculture-powered economy.”You can just look at how we tried to plan for our agriculture this year.Why should we have run short of fertiliser?” said Mugabe.- Nampa-ReutersIn remarks made during an interview with state television and reported by the official Herald newspaper, Mugabe said his ministers had to a large extent failed to deliver.”There is a lot of self-centredness that one sees amongst my ministers,” he said.”There has not been much vigour shown and, therefore, there hasn’t been the necessary accomplishment of the goals that we have set ourselves.”The full interview was to be broadcast yesterday night, ahead of Mugabe’s 82nd birthday tomorrow.Analysts say Mugabe’s biggest challenge is confronting mass anger over a crumbling economy, which has declined by at least a third and is seen sliding further in the absence of bold economic and political reforms.Critics point to Mugabe’s policies, especially the seizure of farms from white commercial farmers for landless blacks for worsening the economic problems.Black farmers who benefited from the land seizures have been hamstrung by a lack of adequate commercial farming skills and shortages of inputs like fertiliser and seed, further crippling the agriculture-powered economy.”You can just look at how we tried to plan for our agriculture this year.Why should we have run short of fertiliser?” said Mugabe.- Nampa-Reuters