Opposition leader, Herbert Chamuka says the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement has not yielded positive results for the ordinary people of Zimbabwe but has worsened their lives due to increased poverty and undemocratic rule by the Zanu-PF government.
The South African based businessman lashed at the government for failing to provide the freedom and economic emancipation it promised on the eve of the country’s independence.
“When I look at the Lancaster House Agreement which was held in 1979, I think it was a waste of time because the talks were about freeing Zimbabwe which led to the 1980 elections and saw the end of the Chimurenga.
“The end of the war was supposed to signify prosperity for Zimbabwe, we did not expect that things will get this hard in Zimbabwe while it is a free country, we expected that things would get better but because of the agreement that they had, it shows that the blacks are failing to rule the country that’s why things continue to get more expensive,” Chamuka said.
Zimbabwe’s economy has for the past two decades suffered a downturn mainly due to the economic sanctions imposed on the country by Western countries which eventually closed off lines of trade between the country and the western bloc.
However, according to the World Bank, Zimbabwe is poised to register economic growth this year despite a raft of challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in Zimbabwe is projected to grow by 3.9 per cent in 2021, in what the World Bank says is a significant improvement after a two-year depression.
Earlier, the African Development Bank projected a 5 6 per cent economic growth this year driven by a recovery in the agriculture, mining, and tourism sectors, together with increased public and private investments.
Chamuka castigated the government for failing to stop price increases which have risen beyond the reach of many low earning citizens.
“They fail to put a price control, the money is useless, there are no jobs, so many potholes on the roads, petrol is very expensive, people are living a hard life, many of them are running away from the country using undesignated entry points because life has become unbearable in Zimbabwe.
“The government is failing. We are strongly encouraging unity without considering who won or lost the elections because there are others that did not win but have ideas that can help the ruling of the country. Zimbabwe is in bad shape,” Chamuka added.
He vowed that if elected to power in 2023, his party will stabilise the economy.
