DEVELOPMENT INDEX
Norway best, Zimbabwe worst places to live, says UN report
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By: Reuters
4th November 2010
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Oil-rich Norway remains the best country in the world to live in, while Zimbabwe, afflicted by economic crisis and AIDS, is the least desirable, according to an annual UN rating released on Thursday.
The assessment came in a so-called human development index, a measure of wellbeing published by the UN Development Program (UNDP) for the past 20 years that combines individual economic prosperity with education levels and life expectancy.
The UNDP placed Norway, Australia and New Zealand at the top and Niger - last year's back-marker - the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe at the bottom, as Western countries again led the list while sub-Saharan African nations trailed.
Japan headed the field in life expectancy, at 83.6 years, with Afghanistan last at little more than half of that - 44.6 years. The tiny Alpine state of Liechtenstein had by far the highest per capita annual income.
Overall, the index contained some significant changes near the top compared with last year, with the United States rising from 13th to fourth and Iceland - hard hit by the global financial crisis - plummeting from third to 17th.
But UNDP officials said the figures were not fully comparable due to changes in calculation methods this year.
Per capita gross national income, which includes aid and remittances, has been used instead of gross domestic product, while in education gross enrollment has been replaced by average years of schooling.
Due to difficulties in obtaining the required figures from some countries, only 169 of the 192 U.N. member states were graded. Absentees included North Korea.
LONG-TERM TRENDS
Instead of year-on-year shifts, this year's report focused on what it said were upward long-term trends, assessing developments in 135 countries since 1970.
"The overall message is actually quite positive," Jeni Klugman, lead author of the report, told journalists. "What we find is that the world is much better off than it was," including a doubling of incomes in real terms over 40 years.
The report says only three countries have a lower human development index than in 1970 -- Congo, torn by conflict since the 1990s, Zambia, hit by falls in the price of copper, its main export, and Zimbabwe, where inflation reached 500 billion percent two years ago.
According to UNDP, the country to have made the most progress in the past four decades is the Gulf state of Oman, because of major health and education improvements, with China in second place due to its prodigious economic growth.
This year's report also drew up new indicators measuring the impact of inequality in the distribution of health, education and income, as well as of gender inequality.
On distribution it found that the country with the least inequality was the Czech Republic, while Mozambique had the most. The figures show "that in many countries, despite rising overall average development achievement, far too many people are being left behind," Klugman said.
The Netherlands had the least gender inequality, while Yemen had the most, the survey said.
Showing posts with label Zimbabwe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zimbabwe. Show all posts
Friday, November 5, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Relations Between Tsvangirai And Mugabe Break Down In Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)
Zimbabwe: Principals' Relations Plunge Further
Dumisani Muleya
28 October 2010
Harare — The recent good working relationship between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has all but broken down in bitterness and recrimination after the president's recent unilateral appointments which outraged the premier and re-ignited their fierce rivalry.
Mugabe's and Tsvangirai's relationship deteriorated further this week after the prime minister boycotted cabinet for the second time this month. Instead of attending Tuesday's cabinet meeting, the most important gathering on the government calendar, Tsvangirai chose to travel to Zambia to meet President Rupiah Banda to brief him on Mugabe's increasing unilateralism within the inclusive government.
Mugabe said this week he wants the referendum on the new draft constitution in March and elections in June next year. His relations with Tsvangirai will almost certainly get worse towards elections.
Tsvangirai went to Zambia on Tuesday morning and returned in the evening for the MDC-T's consultative meeting at Glen View 1 in Harare. Tsvangirai has been holding consultative meetings to find out what his supporters think about the current political situation in the country and his continued stay in the collapsing inclusive government. The move might culminate in the MDC-T pulling out of government, precipitating the collapse of the coalition in which Mugabe and Tsvangirai were awkward political bedfellows.
Tsvangirai's trip to Zambia is also part of the consultations on the state of the inclusive government. The MDC-T leader is expected to hold more meetings with regional leaders, including South African President Jacob Zuma, as part of his diplomatic campaign to resolve the current political stalemate in the country.
Tsvangirai on October 7 wrote to Zuma complaining about Mugabe's unilateral appointments of provincial governors, judges and ambassadors without consultation. He said the appointments were "unconstitutional, null and void".
Besides staying away from cabinet on Tuesday, Tsvangirai has also not attended his Monday meetings with Mugabe on October 11, 18 and 25. The premier boycotted cabinet on October 12, but attended last week's meeting before keeping away on Tuesday.
While Tsvangirai's spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka was not available for comment, ministers who attended cabinet on Tuesday said the premier was not there.
"He was not there for the second time inside three weeks," one minister said. "It shows there is something wrong. His relations with Mugabe have deteriorated and the bad blood is back. There is now a lot of mutual animosity, hostility and bitterness between them."
Another minister said Tsvangirai was now boycotting cabinet and his Monday meetings with the president because he has felt betrayed by Mugabe.
"Tsvangirai feels betrayed by Mugabe and he is very disappointed with him," the minister said. "This explains his behaviour and actions of late."
Tsvangirai recently spoke publicly about betrayal by Mugabe, in a move which left his critics feeling vindicated. Tsvangirai's critics insisted right from the beginning that trusting Mugabe betrayed political naivety on the prime minister's side because the president had a record of letting down even his own political loyalists and allies.
"Events of the past few months have left me sorely disappointed in Mr Mugabe and in his betrayal of the confidence that I and many Zimbabweans have personally invested in him," Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare on October 6.
Tsvangirai had decided in 2008 to put aside his personal and political differences with Mugabe and work together with him in the inclusive government. After a number of meetings, the two started warming up to each other, boasting in public their working relationship was now cordial. They even castigated the media for trying to cast aspersions over their new-found friendship.
Tsvangirai went all over the world, defending Mugabe and reminding everyone he was a liberation struggle hero whose besmirched legacy could still be rescued.
However, when Mugabe told Tsvangirai at their Monday meetings on October 4 that he had appointed governors arbitrarily, the prime minister was stunned and felt betrayed. He summoned his party's national executive on October 5 to discuss the issue and the following day he addressed journalists expressing his disappointment with Mugabe.
Relevant Links
* Southern Africa
* Zimbabwe
* Governance
The premier told journalists he felt betrayed and was "sorely disappointed". He even referred to Mugabe and his loyalists as his "yester enemies and tormentors", revealing his bitterness. Mugabe and his previous regime harassed Tsvangirai, arrested and charged him with treason on a number of times. In 2007 police brutally assaulted him at Machipisa police station after blocking him from addressing a political meeting in Harare.
In a flurry of activity after their October 4 tense meeting, Tsvangirai on October 7 wrote a series of letters to Mugabe, Zuma, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, European Union Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, Swedish Prime Minister Frederick Reinfedt and Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku expressing outrage at the president's actions which he described as "nonsensical and rank madness".
Mugabe has also been on the offensive, worsening their mutual hostility. He has also referred to Tsvangirai's complaints as "nonsensical".
Zimbabwe: Principals' Relations Plunge Further
Dumisani Muleya
28 October 2010
Harare — The recent good working relationship between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has all but broken down in bitterness and recrimination after the president's recent unilateral appointments which outraged the premier and re-ignited their fierce rivalry.
Mugabe's and Tsvangirai's relationship deteriorated further this week after the prime minister boycotted cabinet for the second time this month. Instead of attending Tuesday's cabinet meeting, the most important gathering on the government calendar, Tsvangirai chose to travel to Zambia to meet President Rupiah Banda to brief him on Mugabe's increasing unilateralism within the inclusive government.
Mugabe said this week he wants the referendum on the new draft constitution in March and elections in June next year. His relations with Tsvangirai will almost certainly get worse towards elections.
Tsvangirai went to Zambia on Tuesday morning and returned in the evening for the MDC-T's consultative meeting at Glen View 1 in Harare. Tsvangirai has been holding consultative meetings to find out what his supporters think about the current political situation in the country and his continued stay in the collapsing inclusive government. The move might culminate in the MDC-T pulling out of government, precipitating the collapse of the coalition in which Mugabe and Tsvangirai were awkward political bedfellows.
Tsvangirai's trip to Zambia is also part of the consultations on the state of the inclusive government. The MDC-T leader is expected to hold more meetings with regional leaders, including South African President Jacob Zuma, as part of his diplomatic campaign to resolve the current political stalemate in the country.
Tsvangirai on October 7 wrote to Zuma complaining about Mugabe's unilateral appointments of provincial governors, judges and ambassadors without consultation. He said the appointments were "unconstitutional, null and void".
Besides staying away from cabinet on Tuesday, Tsvangirai has also not attended his Monday meetings with Mugabe on October 11, 18 and 25. The premier boycotted cabinet on October 12, but attended last week's meeting before keeping away on Tuesday.
While Tsvangirai's spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka was not available for comment, ministers who attended cabinet on Tuesday said the premier was not there.
"He was not there for the second time inside three weeks," one minister said. "It shows there is something wrong. His relations with Mugabe have deteriorated and the bad blood is back. There is now a lot of mutual animosity, hostility and bitterness between them."
Another minister said Tsvangirai was now boycotting cabinet and his Monday meetings with the president because he has felt betrayed by Mugabe.
"Tsvangirai feels betrayed by Mugabe and he is very disappointed with him," the minister said. "This explains his behaviour and actions of late."
Tsvangirai recently spoke publicly about betrayal by Mugabe, in a move which left his critics feeling vindicated. Tsvangirai's critics insisted right from the beginning that trusting Mugabe betrayed political naivety on the prime minister's side because the president had a record of letting down even his own political loyalists and allies.
"Events of the past few months have left me sorely disappointed in Mr Mugabe and in his betrayal of the confidence that I and many Zimbabweans have personally invested in him," Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare on October 6.
Tsvangirai had decided in 2008 to put aside his personal and political differences with Mugabe and work together with him in the inclusive government. After a number of meetings, the two started warming up to each other, boasting in public their working relationship was now cordial. They even castigated the media for trying to cast aspersions over their new-found friendship.
Tsvangirai went all over the world, defending Mugabe and reminding everyone he was a liberation struggle hero whose besmirched legacy could still be rescued.
However, when Mugabe told Tsvangirai at their Monday meetings on October 4 that he had appointed governors arbitrarily, the prime minister was stunned and felt betrayed. He summoned his party's national executive on October 5 to discuss the issue and the following day he addressed journalists expressing his disappointment with Mugabe.
Relevant Links
* Southern Africa
* Zimbabwe
* Governance
The premier told journalists he felt betrayed and was "sorely disappointed". He even referred to Mugabe and his loyalists as his "yester enemies and tormentors", revealing his bitterness. Mugabe and his previous regime harassed Tsvangirai, arrested and charged him with treason on a number of times. In 2007 police brutally assaulted him at Machipisa police station after blocking him from addressing a political meeting in Harare.
In a flurry of activity after their October 4 tense meeting, Tsvangirai on October 7 wrote a series of letters to Mugabe, Zuma, United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, European Union Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, Swedish Prime Minister Frederick Reinfedt and Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku expressing outrage at the president's actions which he described as "nonsensical and rank madness".
Mugabe has also been on the offensive, worsening their mutual hostility. He has also referred to Tsvangirai's complaints as "nonsensical".
Friday, September 24, 2010
Zimbabwe And Why South Africa Supports The Status Quo
Zimbabwe is just like North Korea where the US, South Korea and China want to maintain the status quo so they do not get stuck with the bill for a collapsed state the way Germany is still struggling with the former East Germany. South Africa knows it would get stuck with the bill for Zimbabwe and lets the "old man" put off the day the bill comes due.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Morgan Tsvangirai Talks About His Relationship With Robert Mugabe
Africa
Baobab
Meeting Morgan Tsvangirai
Meeting Morgan
Sep 16th 2010, 17:11 by A.R. | JOHANNESBURG
RARELY does Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, speak so frankly in public about his relationship with his old rival, President Robert Mugabe, as he did on Thursday September 13th at an Economist conference in Johannesburg. Describing his weekly Monday meetings with Mr Mugabe as cordial ("he's as human as you are") he argued that the president is willing to contemplate a graceful exit from power within the coming years. Why? "Because he will want to secure his legacy, he will not want to be remembered as a villain. Robert Mugabe believes he has left Zimbabweans talking across the political divide. And as a victim of his repression, I can say reconciliation is the only solution. Some say we must have instant justice, an eye for an eye against those who did us wrong, but an eye for an eye may leave Zimbabwe blind".
The prime minister is criticised in some quarters as weak, with Mr Mugabe and his powerful colleagues who control (among other things) the armed forces and security forces running rings around the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who won the 2008 election but were only able to form a power-sharing government in 2009. Mr Tsvangirai retorts that a gradual process of co-operation and reconciliation has already brought considerable benefits—Zimbabwe's economy grew by 4% or so last year and may do better this year, with inflation low and investment partly returning. The problem is that reconciliation may soon fall apart, if an election, which is likely late next year, causes sharp divisions and a return to thuggish violence against MDC supporters. Mr Tsvangirai, however, argued that "benchmarks" could ensure a fairer election next year. He meant a new voters' roll, more monitors, an independent electoral commission, an outcome to be announced promptly. Maybe so. But would Mr Mugabe (and would neighbours such as South Africa) meekly accept an outright MDC win, which polls suggest is most likely?
Mr Tsvangirai concluded that Zimbabwe is a "post conflict" society, one where locals and foreigners have to give up on old confrontation and think about recovery. "The nation's destiny is not to be held to ransom by Robert Mugabe. He's going to move on. We must think of the 55% of Zimbabweans younger than 15". That would be nice, but the last time this correspondent interviewed Mr Mugabe, the 86-year-old said he would only be standing down "when I am one hundred years old". So just 14 years to go then.
Baobab
Meeting Morgan Tsvangirai
Meeting Morgan
Sep 16th 2010, 17:11 by A.R. | JOHANNESBURG
RARELY does Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, speak so frankly in public about his relationship with his old rival, President Robert Mugabe, as he did on Thursday September 13th at an Economist conference in Johannesburg. Describing his weekly Monday meetings with Mr Mugabe as cordial ("he's as human as you are") he argued that the president is willing to contemplate a graceful exit from power within the coming years. Why? "Because he will want to secure his legacy, he will not want to be remembered as a villain. Robert Mugabe believes he has left Zimbabweans talking across the political divide. And as a victim of his repression, I can say reconciliation is the only solution. Some say we must have instant justice, an eye for an eye against those who did us wrong, but an eye for an eye may leave Zimbabwe blind".
The prime minister is criticised in some quarters as weak, with Mr Mugabe and his powerful colleagues who control (among other things) the armed forces and security forces running rings around the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who won the 2008 election but were only able to form a power-sharing government in 2009. Mr Tsvangirai retorts that a gradual process of co-operation and reconciliation has already brought considerable benefits—Zimbabwe's economy grew by 4% or so last year and may do better this year, with inflation low and investment partly returning. The problem is that reconciliation may soon fall apart, if an election, which is likely late next year, causes sharp divisions and a return to thuggish violence against MDC supporters. Mr Tsvangirai, however, argued that "benchmarks" could ensure a fairer election next year. He meant a new voters' roll, more monitors, an independent electoral commission, an outcome to be announced promptly. Maybe so. But would Mr Mugabe (and would neighbours such as South Africa) meekly accept an outright MDC win, which polls suggest is most likely?
Mr Tsvangirai concluded that Zimbabwe is a "post conflict" society, one where locals and foreigners have to give up on old confrontation and think about recovery. "The nation's destiny is not to be held to ransom by Robert Mugabe. He's going to move on. We must think of the 55% of Zimbabweans younger than 15". That would be nice, but the last time this correspondent interviewed Mr Mugabe, the 86-year-old said he would only be standing down "when I am one hundred years old". So just 14 years to go then.
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