It never rains but heavily pours for the president of Zimbabwe. In the middle of trying to solve the country’s crumbling economy, civil unrest and a skyrocketing inflation rate, he was recently dealt another blow. Only a handful of people sat in for his speech at the 74th edition of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The auditorium, which is usually packed with other heads of states and observers, was almost empty as most people did not wait to listen to his speech.
The president has become the subject of mockery with many people saying he flew all the way to New York to address empty chairs. The president had tweeted before his speech,”I am honoured to be representing my country at the U.N and I am strengthened by the warm wishes from the people of Zimbabwe. Tonight I will be addressing the U.N general assembly and updating the world on our progress”. It was however a sad reality that the world did not give heed to his call.
There has been speculation over the disparity between the president and his predecessor Robert Mugabe. It is common cause that the auditorium would always be fully packed when Mugabe addressed delegates at the UN. This has been attributed to the overwhelming sense of anticipation that usually engulfed officials when Mugabe took to the podium. He exuded confidence, intelligence and had a great command of language. He was eloquent and spoke frankly and freely. Delegates always listened attentively to his speeches.
The curse of Zimbabwe seems to be growing by the day. Indeed the mantra that the country is now open for business seems to be falling on deaf ears as investors that were expected to come in their numbers have been trickling in slowly. The country is in shambles, inflation rate is by 300% and service delivery at an all time low. The finance minister’s austerity measures have become a pain with most people lamenting the high cost of living.
