HARARE - President Robert Mugabe yesterday flew to the Equatorial Guinea capital Malabo to attend the 23rd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) while the country’s economic crisis worsens.
Zimbabweans are expecting Mugabe to address the nation on the economic crisis that has forced hundreds of companies to close down rendering thousands unemployed.
The summit runs until June 27, and will see African heads of States deliberating on strategies around improving agri-business on the continent by ensuring that political commitments are translated to concrete action.
The summit, which is also being attended by ministers of Agriculture from member States, will work on strategies of improving livelihoods of African citizens.
This is the fifth trip Mugabe has embarked on inside two months, and comes at a time when there are mounting concerns that Zimbabwe’s economy was fragile after averaging double digit growth between 2009-2012.
The 90-year-old leader has travelled to Singapore for a routine medical check-up, and then proceeded to South Africa where he attended South African president Jacob Zuma’s inauguration before flying to Dubai.
He then proceeded to Bolivia for the G77 plus China summit.
His trip comes as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Zimbabwe should undertake comprehensive reforms, including reducing the public sector wage bill and mobilising revenues from diamond mining to save the economy.
The IMF says the country is facing serious mid-term challenges which will require strong macro-economic policies and an enabling business environment amid concerns about government’ increasing failure to pay its workers and pensioners in time, and relying on Value Added Tax to bankroll salaries.
The tax collector Zimra has also trawled company accounts looking for outstanding obligations to finance government expenditure.
However, while an economic crisis continues to drag on at home, analysts say Mugabe was turning to foreign diplomacy to save face domestically than improving relations abroad.
Eldred Masunungure, a University of Zimbabwe political scientist, said globe-trotting had always been one of Mugabe’s favourite past-times, although there could be the argument that his travels brought about new ideas.
“It is not entirely surprising that he would be travelling to discuss issues bedevilling his country but it raises questions of value addition,” Masunungure told the Daily News.
“There must be value the country realises. We have not seen these new lessons being drawn to improve the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.
“Travelling is part of his governance style. Those visits have attracted a lot of criticism because the economy is going into a comma and agriculture is not doing well either but his preference for travelling seems to loom larger than these problems.”
The Zanu PF strong man’s trip also comes at a time when there is unrest in his party where jostling for positions ahead of an elective congress in December have seen party heavy weights engaged in mortal combat.
Early this month, Mugabe admitted to the rifts widening within his 51-year-old ruling party.