Economist Gift Mugano said President Emmerson Mnangagwa can only turn around the economy if he has a lean and robust Cabinet of not more that 18 ministers, mostly technocrats.

Speaking during a Mass Public Opinion Institute discussion last Thursday, Mugano, who is the executive director of African Economic Development Strategies, said Mnangagwa must avoid appointing lawyers as Finance ministers as they were not good for the job.

“For 38 years, there was no stability in the economy because of politics, and we experienced an economic meltdown when war veterans were paid hefty packages, when Zimbabwe took part in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the land reform and the MDC formation in 2000 which brought a lot of fighting with government.”

Mugano said Mnangagwa’s success will depend largely on the calibre of ministers that he will appoint.

“We should have a Minister of Finance who is an economist, not a lawyer because they will not understand what I am talking about.
Newsday