• State building & state capacity

State Building & state capacity

With a focus on President Robert Mgabe’s regime, this paper assesses Zimbabwe's social, political and economic crisis and its impact on Zimbabweans. It also indicates steps needed for national recovery and sustainable development.

It is explained that Zimbabwe has failed to realise its potential to become a strong, independent state, going from the admiration and envy of its neighbours to near-complete collapse and abject poverty. With the world's highest inflation rate, unserviceable debts, poverty rates of more than 80 percent, and more than 1.8 million Zimbabweans receiving food aid last year, a crisis of severe proportions – even by regional standards – is unfolding. Economic turmoil, caused by failed land reforms and inflation, combined with increased malnutrition, and evaporating access to education, health care, and employment have only exacerbated unrest, particularly for constituencies who receive few benefits from President Robert Mugabe's regime.

The authors highlight steps needed for recovery in Zimbabwe. These include:

• rebuild trust in government - government needs to be returned to the centre of development and economic management processes in Zimbabwe 
• reform economic policies and institutions - central to Zimbabwe's economic mess are the Mugabe government's disastrous backward-looking policies 
• prepare an economic recovery programme and provide adequate funding - the international community should establish a trust fund for the recovery of Zimbabwe's economy under a post-Mugabe government 
• encourage and facilitate the return of the diaspora - the international community and any post-Mugabe government will need to encourage and facilitate the return of millions of displaced Zimbabweans.
  

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