Staff ReporterOur corresponded is inside the Harare stadium hosting Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration as president of Zimbabwe. He has been talking to Zimbabweans about what they want from their new president.
“Whenever we go around the streets of Harare talking to young people who are unemployed, their priority is economic reform, not political reform.
“We have talked to so many young graduates who have told us they have never had a job.”
The unemployment rate is thought to be about 90%, though such estimates vary wildly.
The World Bank’s modelled estimates based on the International Labour Organisation data puts the figure as low as 5% in 2016, while Zimbabwe’s biggest trade union claims the jobless rate was as high as 90% this year.
However, the World Bank’s definition only covers those actively “seeking” work. Many of those not counted may not seek a job despite wanting one because they “view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers”.
