HARARE – President Robert Mugabe, displaying his boundless energy and penchant for the world stage, left the controls of his economically-ravaged nation last week for a two-day dash to participate in the G77 plus China summit in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia.<\/p>\n
The globe-trotting appears to be doing little good to Mugabe\u2019s low popularity rating at home, raising the risk that whatever credit he gets internationally does nothing for Zimbabwe\u2019s ailing economy.<\/p>\n
Despite the deepening economic problems back home, Mugabe has instead turned his attention to global economic woes, choosing to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the G77 a grouping under the United Nations (UN), with members from 133 developing nations which also includes China, now considered one of the super powers of the world.<\/p>\n
The G77 is meeting to draft a global anti-poverty agenda at a summit that also showcases Latin America\u2019s burgeoning relationship with the Asian giants.<\/p>\n
Mugabe\u2019s trip risks leaving problems untended on the home-front, where hard-pressed citizens are criticising his government for unfulfilled election promises, coupled with a spiralling unemployment rate and deflation.<\/p>\n
This comes also at a time when serious cracks have resurfaced in his ruling Zanu PF party…<\/p>\n