Zimbabwe Leads SADC Members In GDP Growth

According to BERNAMA, Zimbabwe is leading the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states in yearly gross domestic product (GDP) rate rankings on the back of stable economic conditions that are restoring investor confidence, state radio reported on Sunday, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

Official data implies that Zimbabwe's GDP is actually higher than its regional counterparts like South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique, on a yearly average.



The same source also says that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Desire Sibanda, was quoted by local media as saying the favourable GDP rates being experienced by Zimbabwe is a reflection of the government's commitment to increase productivity and create new jobs.


Do the PS's words carry any weight?

World Food Security at Risk

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has reported that food prices are on the rise.

The organisation also claims that food prices have been soaring since last year, and they say that these record high prices for staple foods last year were one of the main factors that contributed to the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and north Africa, as well as bread riots in other parts of the world.

The FAO index, which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 215.9 points in March, up from a revised 215.4 points in February, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

Although below the February 2011 peak of 237.9, the index is still higher than during a food price crisis in 2007-08 that raised global alarm.

"The food crisis has not gone away since then," said Emilia Casella, spokesperson for the UN's World Food Program.

 How is the future for Zimbabwe under these circumstances?