Do Economic Blueprints Work? Evaluating the Prospects and Challenges of Zimbabwe’s Transitional Stabilisation Programme

Abstract

Development approaches and paradigms influence the nature and rate of socio-economic transformation of a country. The approaches manifest in the form of plans, policies or programmes. This conceptual paper seeks to evaluate the prospects and challenges of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in 2019 and draw lessons from other economic blueprints that were implemented prior to it. Zimbabwe has endured economic instability since the Fast Track Land Reform Programme of 2000. This has resulted in a lot of policy transformation in order to try to restore sanity. A desk review of 
secondary sources was done in collecting data and academic journals and papers were used as sources of data. Furthermore, some data was drawn from interviews made by economic analysts, government officials and academics. The researcher noted success stories and challenges from the different economic policies. We argue that Zimbabwe’s socio-economic policies have been affected by poor implementation strategies, corruption and excessive political expediency.Thus, the paper concluded that Zimbabwe’s economic status continues to degenerate despite a number of economic blueprints implemented from the year 2000. This is attributed to policy 
reversals and a lack of protection and security of property rights, leading to a lack of investor confidence. No meaningful investor is willing to pour out new capital when sovereign risk is high. The research recommends a human factor development approach militating against prudent economic management, while genuinely reengaging the world. Development approaches and paradigms influence the nature and rate of socio-economic transformation of a country. The approaches manifest in the form of plans, policies or programmes. This conceptual paper seeks to evaluate the prospects and challenges of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme implemented by the government of Zimbabwe in 2019 and draw lessons from other economic blueprints that were implemented prior to it. Zimbabwe has endured economic instability since the Fast Track Land Reform Programme of 2000. This has resulted in a lot of policy transformation in order to try to restore sanity. A desk review of secondary sources was done in collecting data and academic journals and papers were used as sources of data. Furthermore, some data was drawn from interviews made by economic analysts, 
government officials and academics. The researcher noted success stories and challenges from the different economic policies. We argue that Zimbabwe’s socio-economic policies have been affected by poor implementation strategies, corruption and excessive political expediency. Thus, the paper concluded that Zimbabwe’s economic status continues to degenerate despite 
a number of economic blueprints implemented from the year 2000. This is attributed to policy reversals and a lack of protection and security of property rights, leading to a lack of investor confidence. No meaningful investor is willing to pour out new capital when sovereign risk is high. The research recommends a human factor development approach militating against prudent economic management, while genuinely reengaging the world. 

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