via Numbers never lie | The Zimbabwean 23 July 2014 by Jera
Since dissolution of the GNU, Zimbabwe has seen numerous company closures. To be specific 634 companies were taken off the company register this year, between April and July. Knowing that joblessness is a far worse prospect, bank employees – once envied by the country’s labour force – are working half their normal hours, on weekly shifts, as the liquidity crunch bites.
According to the Retrenchment Board, 2,060 retrenchments were recorded in the first half of 2014. This does not show the full picture as one in three employers do not inform the Retrenchment Board. Of late, the board handles a minimum of 100 retrenchments per week.
Only recently, it was revealed that the Zimbabwe National Army – normally used to getting special treatment – is switching to cheaper meals at its canteens and that soldiers are being encouraged to seek alternative accommodation away from barracks, because the government is broke.
Since January 2014, civil service paydays have been moved back and forth, as Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa borrows from Peter to pay Paul. Except, from what we learn in the media, not even this mythical Peter would dare lend money to a government on the brink of insolvency.
Men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t. If President Mugabe can show by way of numbers that the economy is really on the mend – by showing us just 100 names of youths who found new jobs in July, by showing us five new construction projects in Harare or Bulawayo – nobody would dispute his claim.
He had very little credibility left after his 2013 claim of 2,2 million jobs. Whatever droplet of credibility the president had has certainly evaporated following this latest lie.
COMMENTS
Indeed figures do not lie but liars can figure.
Going going gone
It was 2.2 million new jobs in five years and now since no job has been created its now a minimum 2.2m in four years which means 550,000 jobs a year or 46,000 new jobs a month.
Well that’s a mammoth task but those guys don’t care a bit and so numbers will remain just numbers whilst they look for the next corner to exploit and loot. That’s Mugabe for you, I am afraid the biggest conman Zimbabwe has ever seen.
IS THIS GOVERNMENT THAT DEAF!!!! REMOVE ANTI-SOCIAL POLICIES WITH WORKING ONES AND REMOVE ANTI DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE FROM GOVERNMENT. PEOPLE’S PATIENCE DOES NOT STRETCH FOR EVER. THERE ARE LIMITS TO THIS PATIENCE AS ABUSE OF ZIMBABWE BY LEADERS ESCALATES. HEY YOU ‘RULING PARTY’ INCUMBENTS REMOVE THE LOGS IN YOUR EARS OR PEOPLE WILL REMOVE THEM FOR YOU!!! THIS IS BECOMING UNBEARABLE. ARE WE HEADING FOR A NATIONAL CONFRONTATION SOONER OR LATER? HUH!
Truth be told, ,we must take the blame, we voted for Mugabe, the rigging story is but a myth, we must bear the brunt of our actions,, the world has given up on us,,too many idiots concentrated in an area as small as this is dangerous,, today an election will reveal that people would still vote zanu,, so enjoy my brothers the fruits of your actions