President Emmerson Mnangagwa is scheduled to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) next Wednesday. This was announced by Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, through an Extraordinary Government Gazette published on Friday. The notice stated:
“It is hereby notified for public information that His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Honourable Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa will: (a) in terms of section 140(1) of the Constitution, address a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 14:00 hours, where he will outline the Government’s legislative agenda for the Second Session of the Tenth Parliament; and (b) in terms of section 140(4) of the Constitution, deliver the State of the Nation Address.”
This year’s SONA comes amid worsening economic conditions, characterized by soaring prices, the depreciation of the local currency, and persistent electricity shortages.
On Friday, September 27, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) revised the ZiG exchange rate from 14.1 ZiG per dollar to 24.3 ZiG per dollar. This move has sparked widespread outrage, including from supporters within the ruling ZANU PF party.
Kudzai Mutisi, a ZANU PF supporter and economic commentator, criticized the government’s strategy on gold-backed currency, arguing that simply holding gold reserves without using them to stabilize the currency is ineffective. He expressed his concerns on social media, stating:
“Filling a vault with gold and claiming it backs the currency won’t bring stability.”
In a similar sentiment, another commentator, Matigari, remarked, “We must face the reality of the ZiG’s challenges. This is playing with people’s livelihoods.”
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