Mnangagwa says he'll still be Zim's president in 2030 – report

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly expressed confidence that he would still be the southern African country's president in 2030, adding that his economic vision for the country is not a mistake.

According to the privately-owned NewsDay newspaper, Mnangagwa told captains of the industry at the Buy Zimbabwe conference in Gweru that his administration was working tirelessly in resuscitating the country's moribund economy, and would transform it to a cashless economy within the next 15 years.

"I chose 2030 and it's not a magic year, but I believe I will still be there. I would want to command the Buy Zimbabwe team which has continued to work closely with both private and public sectors to drive the buy local message and encourage the purchase of local products and services so that local business can thrive, thereby, stimulating economic growth and creating decent jobs for us to be a middle income country by 2030," Mnangagwa was cited as saying.

He said that he had a vision to turn the economy into a cashless economy and urged Zimbabweans to embrace plastic money since this was the global trend.

International backing

Mnangagwa, was vying to retain his post after he took over from Robert Mugabe with the help of the military last November, and has promised free, fair and credible elections.

In an interview with News24 early this year, the Institute of Security Studies, senior researcher, Derek Matyszak, said Mnangagwa was going to gain international backing and trust when it came to revitalising the country's economy.

"He's certainly making the right kind of noise regarding the economy and he would obviously earn international backing and trust on that front. He is signalling a serious intent on economic reforms," said Matyszak.

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa said at the the World Economic Forum in Davos (WEF) in January that economic and trade corporation issues would be top priorities of his new government, according to Fin24.