Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister says “I sleep well” because I have great optimism to turn around the country’s fortunes

Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told the Senate yesterday that he was happy and slept quite well because he had great optimism that there is an opportunity to turn around the country’s fortunes.

He, however, differed with a lot of people because they had a short-term view of the solutions.

Responding to a question from Senator Misheck Marava who wanted to know whether the country would get out of its quagmire and become financially competitive in view of rampant corruption, Chinamasa responded: “Very much, I foresee, I do.  In fact what makes me happy and sleep well is that I have great optimism that we have an opportunity to turn around the fortunes of this country. 

“I am fully conversant and aware of the challenges that we are facing because first and foremost, it is important to understand scientifically what the challenges are because unless you understand the correct and true nature of your problem, you cannot come up with strategies to overcome and sort out that problem.

“I think Government is fully aware of the challenges facing this economy and has adopted strategies.  It is adopting and implementing strategies and these strategies are at various stages of implementation.  Where I differ with a lot of people is that, all of us have a very short term view of solutions.  We all think that all solutions should come tomorrow.  I do not share that optimism.

“What I believe needs to be done is, once you analyse a problem such as corruption, you take steps to rid this society of that menace.  To expect that overnight, when in fact corruption may already be embedded in the blood of our people, including maybe in the blood of even these distinguished Hon. Members, I think is to expect too much.”

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