Are we headed for a crisis?

Tsvangirai is on record blaming Zanu (PF) for bad economic policies as 
well as looting of resources at the expense of development in the
country and warned that the party would cause further suffering of
ordinary Zimbabweans.

The MDC-T President said his party created some 
form of economic stability in the country after the inception of the
GNU in February 2009, adding that it had the
capacity to attract foreign direct investment.

Zanu (PF)s indigenisation policy is seen by analysts as
a threat to foreign direct investment and the party has vowed to intensify the programme.

Economist, John Robertson, told The Zimbabwean that Zimbabwe was already
in a crisis.

“I think we are in a crisis already. We do not have policies that can
attract Foreign Direct Investment. We are victims of policies such as
the indigenisation programme and a continuation of such policies will
only make the situation worse,” he said.

Robertson believes Zimbabwe’s fragile international
 standing has been badly affected by the conduct of the elections.
He said even if South African President Jacob Zuma had sent his
 congratulations to President Robert Mugabe he did not believe that
 Zuma’s confidence was shared by the South African business community.

“I think our country’s international standing will continue to be 
badly affected by the manner in which the election was held. I don’t think South African 
investors share their President’s sentiments,” Robertson said.

Erich Bloch, also an economist, said whether Zimbabwe plunged into 
another economic crisis or not depended on the policies the new 
government would pursue.

“If they come up with
new policies, a crisis could be avoided but if they stick to their 
old policies, we will have problems,” Bloch said.

Political analyst, Eldred Masunungure, said: “I do not agree that 
Zimbabwe is headed for a deeper crisis. I think there will be efforts by all sides to normalize relations because they cannot continue like 
this,” said Masunungure.

Another political analyst, Blessing Vava, said Tsvangirai was wrong in thinking that the 
MDC-T had the key to unlock the country’s economic or political
 crisis.

“What Tsvangirai can do is accept his defeat and hope that the next
 government will be able to respond to the needs and aspirations of the 
people of Zimbabwe,” said Vava.