Stir The Pot

ZIMBABWE is in turmoil. It is facing the twin political and economic challenges again. Political tensions are high and activists are paying the price. Inflation, while now a bit stagnant, but it is above 700%, the highest in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region. Workers are struggling to meet their basic needs. South Africa once again is trying to help stabilise the situation in its northern neighbour.

Each time things go haywire in Zimbabwe, South Africa had been there to mop up the mess. South Africa has a big population, a staggering 56 million at last count. This is a mammoth figure considering her neighbour’s population. Lesotho and Botswana have slightly above two million each, Namibia around 2,5 million, Eswathini 1,3 million, Mozambique 25 million and Zimbabwe around 16 million.

South Africa has the highest white population in Africa — more than 5,5 million — one in 10 of its citizens. It has the biggest, diversified and most sophisticated economy in sub-Saharan Africa. It is that big that the European Union had a separate economic partnership agreement (EPA) with South Africa while all the remaining Sadc member States were lumped together.

South Africa has developed mining, construction, manufacturing, entertainment, tourism, telecommunications and agriculture industries. It also has relatively the best tertiary education, health, roads and housing facilities in the region or continent. Its economy while sometimes it wobbles still remains among the best emerging markets, hence its esteemed membership of BRICS — an