Zimbabwe: Economy worse now pass former President Mugabe time?

Claim: Life for Zimbabwe dey worse now than e be under former President Robert Mugabe, according to Fadzayi Mahere of di opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.

Verdict: Na true say in recent months, di economic situation don worse. But times don dey under oga Mugabe long rule wen di economy worse well well pass how tins be now.

Di opposition for Zimbabwe don call for protests ontop di condition of di kontri, and dem don accuse di goment say dem do di economy anyhow.

Since 2017, President Emmerson Mnangagwa don lead Zimbabwe, afta di military overthrow Robert Mugabe wey bin tey well well for power.

We use important national economic information to measure whether life for Zimbabwe pipo dey worse afta oga Mnanagagwa take over.

Di latest economic data show saw Zimbabwe economy don actually go down in di past one year, if na gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, di average economic output per pesin.

So although Zimbabwe pipo fit dey feel am for pocket say tins no level now, e no dey possible to conclude from dis data say tins worse today pass how e be under Mugabe reign.

For ordinary Zimbabwe pipo di price inflation for di economy dey pinch dem well well for bodi.

At di end of 2017 wen oga Mugabe comot office, di annual rate of inflation na like 5%.

Inflation kontinu to dey low until dey end of 2018, but then e come go up for di first half of 2019, so tey e reach 176% for June.

Dis na way to take torchlight how much pipo dey comot from pocket to buy tins.

Economy sabi pesin Steve Hanke, believe say di inflation high pass di official figures, say e reach 611% for August.

And if we wan use price of food to measure am, di mata even worse.

UN say wetin dem see be say annual food inflation for June 2019 pass 250%.

So di cost of food don go up, supply of fuel don go down and di money wey pipo dey collect for pensions no reach to do anytin again.

Di goment don bring back im own currency afta ten years wey dem bin dey use US dollar.

Dis decision don make many workers para, because dem prefer to collect dia pay for US dollars.

Has Zimbabwe seen worse?

Although di current economic environment get as be, some period under oga Mugabe reign for power worse well well pass am.

What is the government saying?

Since di new goment enta power, dem don reduce spending, cut salary of some goment workers, and introduce new tax. Dem even do international campaign wey say Zimbabwe "dey open for business".

All dis di goment say, go epp di economy grow and create environment wey go make investors create jobs.

But Zimbabwean economy sabi pesin Godfrey Kanyenze say di goment current plans don "cause chronic high inflation and make many of Zimbabwe pipo to dey poor".