Mugabe Admits There's Starvation in Zimbabwe

It wasn’t very many days ago when Robert Mugabe, president and dictator of Zimbabwe, announced to the UN that all of the people in his country were “extremely happy.” He said those who couldn’t find maize meal (the staple of the nation) could buy potatoes instead. Now, his government is admitting that 2.2 million Zimbabweans need food assistance. This is a nation that is “sleepwalking toward disaster,” and the continued existence of the Mugabe regime is a crime against humanity.

The IMF has released its latest report on Zimbabwe, a nation that used to feed not only itself but many of its neighbors, and it makes for depressing reading:

Zimbabwe’s economy has deteriorated sharply since 1997. Real GDP declined by almost 30 percent from 1997 to 2003, while inflation soared from about 20 percent in December 1997 to a peak of 623 percent in January 2004 (Table 1 and Figure 1). Agricultural production—the mainstay of the economy—collapsed with the disruption caused by the violent implementation of fast-track land reform. With the official exchange held constant at Z$55 per U.S. dollar—and later at Z$824 per U.S. dollar—(Figure 2) , and declining exports and foreign financing, the supply of foreign exchange to the official market shrank, leading to sharp restrictions on imports and accumulation of external arrears (Figure 3). Investment fell sharply and shortages of food, fuel, electricity and other basics became pervasive. The performance of the economy lagged markedly behind those of other countries in the region. [Editor’s note: Tables and Figures omitted]

The human cost of these policies has been high. Zimbabwe’s human development indicators—once among the best in sub-Saharan Africa—have deteriorated sharply to a rank of 147th out of 177 countries in the world. More than two out of three Zimbabweans are unemployed while poverty and emigration have risen sharply. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has been left largely unchecked, with the infection rate estimated at about 25 percent of the adult population. Life expectancy has declined to below 40 years from around 60 years fifteen years ago, while child mortality has risen sharply to 126 (per 1,000 live births) from 90 in 1995, partly reflecting declining immunizations and the AIDS pandemic.