‘Reforms dead in the water’

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Priscah Mupfumira was recently forced to reinstate thousands of youths who were retrenched, as President Robert Mugabe pulled another trick to curry favour with the electorate ahead of next year’s general elections.

At a youth interface rally in Chinhoyi, Mugabe appeared shocked when told that about 2 000 youths had been retrenched and immediately ordered Mupfumira and her Finance counterpart Patrick Chinamasa to “stop it” as he was not consulted.

Analysts were unanimous last week that Mugabe’s intervention was a clear testimony that government was not genuine about or interested in embarking on economic reforms as recommended by the global financial institutions.

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