Poverty In Zimbabwe Essay

While poverty has been decreasing for many developing countries, poverty in Africa has been rising for the last forty years. Countries in Africa experience severe problems that are detrimental to its economy (Collier 16763). Zimbabwe, ranked one of the poorest African countries in the world, suffers from negative economic growth and worsening conditions of poverty (Alwang et al 1). Although poverty reduction was a top priority after British colonialism, efforts were ineffective and poverty continued to increase substantially. Economic decline in Zimbabwe derives from poor government policies and economic difficulties, such as droughts and the effects of implementing the Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP) (3). Although poverty

The cost of Zimbabwe’s involvement used a big portion of the government expenditure. As the country recovered from the war, the government was unable to make changes that aided the budget deficit (Munangagwa 114). In Zimbabwe, over sixty percent of its sixteen million population lives below the national poverty line. The people who are living in low income households are unable to obtain sufficient basic needs like food, clothing, education, and access to social services (Chinake 40). In the rural areas of Zimbabwe, poor conditions like dry soil and low productivity affects seventy percent of the population (Alwang et al. 3). The distribution of poverty is more concentrated in rural areas like Lupane and Mudzi than in urban areas, as eighty-four percent of the poor live in rural areas (East and Southern Africa Division Programme Management Department 3). Zimbabwe has seen account deficits at twenty-three percent and budget deficits at

The droughts in 1990 and 1995 and adjustment programs attempted to repair damages in the economy, but the government overlooked high interest rates and further exacerbated the budget deficit by using more unbudgeted spending (Alwang et al. 8). The effects of poverty are evident in rural households and the economy. Poverty denies children and adults access to social welfare, like education, jobs, and healthcare (“African Economic Outlook”