Abstract: This paper analyses the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASSET 2013-2018), a five-year economic development blueprint adopted by the Zimbabwe government under the then President of Zimbabwe R.G Mugabe in 2013. ZIMASSET is premised on four strategic cluster areas prioritised for the resuscitation of Zimbabwe’s ailing economy following more than a decade of economic regression. The major factors that militated against the achievement of ZIMASSET’s objectives in the last four years include lack of requisite political and economic reforms as well as lack of diverse foreign policy options. Consequently, unemployment levels have skyrocketed, investments have not been forthcoming. However, the main thrust of this paper is that the Mugabe foreign policy was too narrowly focused on China and did not put significant emphasis on the possibilities of deeper engagements with other emerging economies such as Brazil and India. Further, although reengagement of the West was mentioned in the ZIMASSET document, this was not prioritised as noted by the lack of political support for the Minister of Finance’s Lima Plan where he sought to implement a plan for Zimbabwe’s clearance of its debt arrears with International Financial Institutions (IFIs). Continued use of inflammatory rhetoric by the former President Mugabe when addressing Western state leaders did not help the reengagement cause. The methodology employed is a thorough analysis of relevant documentary sources on Zimbabwe’s foreign policy engagements as well as on local political and economic issues. This paper recommends that since ZIMASSET has already failed to achieve economic development for the country, the new government led by President Mnangagwa has to institute a more pragmatic foreign policy orientation, embark on political and economic reforms and stamp out corruption. This would attract much needed Foreign Direct investment (FDI), technology and diverse financial options.
Keywords: Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation; foreign policy; economic development; International Financial Institutions; Look East policy.
Title: Evaluating ZIMASSET: The need for Foreign Policy Reorientation and (Re) engagement of International Partners
Author: Ronald Chipaike, Knowledge H Matarutse
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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