Engagement with the West Will Not Help

Judging from finance minster Patrick Chinamasa's words the Zimbabwe government is desperate to engage the British. Apparently they believe that will unlock money

That the Zimbabwe politicians think that all that's needed to fix Zimbabwe's economy is engagement with the British, suggests one of two things. Either they don't have they slightest clue what they did wrong in mismanaging the economy. Or they don't want to own up to their mistake and want people to just sweep their thievery under the carpet.

Certainly, They haven't cut down on expenses. The executive is more bloated than ever. They haven't tackled corruption. People who have been dogged by corruption scandals for years still enjoy poltical power.

Instead of holding people to account the government has been 'taking over' debt accumulated from political corruption, a move meant to block creditors from claiming their dues through the courts.

The British right now are too pre-occupied with Brexit to really bother about Zimbabwe.

If they would care to look what they would see is a government that refuses to be accountable for misusing money. A government that focuses on blame shifting.

For example in most countries are announced years in advance, to give businesses the time and opportunity to plan.

What does Zimbabwe do, they draft a statutory instrument overnight on 17 June, by 18 June they are confiscating people's goods.

Can Minister Chinamsa or any other government official who cares, tell us, that does that amount to policy consistency? Shipments that had already been planned before 18 June ended up being stuck at the border for weeks. If the transporters are strict they will be charging demurrage meaning the business person is going to run heavy losses just over the government's policy inconsistencies.

There inconsistencies have driven investors out of Zimbabwe. Companies like Stewart and Lloyds, Biddulphs, Stuttafords to name a few have shifted base to South Africa. Some have closed shop completely.

The policy inconsistencies have also prevented Zimbabwe industries from competing for their fair share of business in the region.

When Zimbabwe Sugar Refineries was opening up export markets for sugar in the mid-2000s what did the government do? They banned exports and introduced price controls to boot. Where is ZSR today?

Yet the simple long term solution sugar shortages would have been increasing production by accelerating production in areas like Muzarabani which already had a nascent sugar industry. Now that too is no more.

The bottom line for Zimbabwe is that engagement with the West without a change in the irrational, haphazard, inconsistent and ignorantly implemented policy framework will not improve Zimbabwe's economy.