Zim's future is 'glamorous'

Cape Town - Zimbabweans don't blame anyone else for their problems, but they do need support from other Africans right now, as they rebuild their economy and their society.

"Yes," agreed Arthur Mutambara, the deputy prime minister, "the past is a bad place. But the future is glamorous."

Speaking in a debate on investment risk in Africa at the World Economic Forum on Africa on Thursday, Mutambara insisted that although his country is asking for aid at present, what Zimbabwe really wants is investment. "The future of our country doesn't depend on aid," he said. "The future of our country belongs to investments. We look to develop through profits."

Mutambara - who leads one of the three political parties in the government of national unity - complained to delegates at the WEF that although the present financial crisis is a global crisis, the solution is not, so far, global.

He said however that within the Southern African Development Community, there may be a more positive attitude to multilateral actions to fight the recession.

Pravin Gordhan, South Africa's finance minister, told the audience at the debate that South Africa stands ready in solidarity with its neighbours as it always has.

Challenged over a possible leftward tilt in the new government in this country, Gordhan said that there has been a 15-year record of demonstrated fiscal responsibility, and though there has been a 6.4% decline in the economy, the country has demonstrated resilience and will do so again.

"We will try to defend as many employees as possible (from retrenchment)," he said. But he suggested that even while they were on short-time working, they were being trained for further employment.

He said that risk in the economy is being shared with business.

"President Zuma has sent a clear message that we want to work in partnership with business," he said.

- I-Net Bridge