| Sure thing. Really. Any time now... |
 Zimbabwe's struggling economy is set for a "dramatic" recovery in the next two to three years on the back of expected growth in mining and commercial farming, central bank governor Gideon Gono said on Wednesday. Zimbabwe's economy has shrunk by more than a third during a recession which has lasted for eight years, with inflation running at a world record of nearly 1 200% and unemployment estimated at about 70%.
| That's some recession. Wonder what a depression looks like in Bob-land? |
Gono aims to tackle the meltdown, which has been worsened by the withdrawal of international support over policy differences with Harare, particularly President Robert Mugabe's forcible redistribution of white-owned commercial farms among blacks.
Zimbabwe's biggest challenge was to rebuild confidence and mobilize investment around its natural resources, the governor said. "We are working quietly and fighting very hard on several fronts to rebuild (business) confidence, to boost both domestic and external investment in mining and commercial agriculture," he said. Gono declined to discuss what new investments were in the pipeline, but analysts say Zimbabwe appears to be banking on inflows from Asia under a 'Look East' policy which Mugabe has adopted after his isolation by Western donors. |