Can Mnangagwa propel Zimbabwe into an upper middle income country by 2030?

Zimbabwe says it is on track to transform Zimbabwe from a lower middle income to an upper middle income country by 2030. A British economic research group thinks otherwise.

To be an upper middle income country, Zimbabwe needs to have a per capita income of between US$4 046 and US$12 535. According to the World Bank it had a per capita income of US$1 464 last year which means it has to treble that in the next 10 years.

Information secretary Nick Mangwana, in a video in which he summed up President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s achievements in two minutes, said Mnangagwa’s administration had:

• Turned from a budget deficit to a budget surplus of $1.2 billion.
• Reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar which has boosted exports and created jobs and has resulted in price stability and declining inflation.
• Produced about 190 000 tonnes of wheat in 2020 compared to 94 700 tonnes last year
• Reduced the government wage bill from 92 percent of government expenditure to 50 percent
• Resolved the issue of compensation of former white farmers
• Introduced climate friendly and high yield pfumvudza farming progrmme which should result in production of 1.4 million tonnes of maize
• Pushed Zimbabwe to number 3 on Africa’s budget transparency list
• Introduced the one-stop Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency
• Reduced the period for starting a business from 32 days to 11 days
• Reduced the number of days to get a construction permit from 208 to 150 days
• Reduced property registration period from 36 to 14 days
• Licensed 6 new TV broadcasters
• Started addressing Gukurahundi issue
• Introduced innovation hubs at universities
• Expanded and modernized Beitbridge Border Post
• Started dualising the Harare-Beitbridge Road
• Started building the new Parliament building
• Started construction of Gwayi-Shangani dam and commissioned Marovanyati dam

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