Zimbabwe’s vice president says it was the colonisers fault that the country has been plagued by a severe economic crisis for decades, because they locals have not been taught how to run the economy. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also expects an apology from the colonising French.

Zimbabwe s Vice President, Kembo Mohadi, has come up with an interesting theory regarding the severe crisis gripping his country. He believes the root cause of the prolonged economic downturn is that Zimbabwe s former white colonial rulers did not teach locals how to run the econmy. In his speech broadcast on national TV, Mr Mohadi said the knowledge of locals was limited to running a liquor store or a retail shop, but it does not extend beyond that. He stressed that the blame lies with Zimbabwe s former colonisers, who did not pass on their knowledge to the locals.

Zimbabwe (originally known as South Rhodesia, then Rhodesia) became a British colony in 1923. It gained its independence in 1980, with Robert Mugabe as its first prime minister. A few years later, Mugabe assumed power as the country s president and established his dictatorial rule. He ousted the white settlers from power, who fled en masse due to Mugabe s controversial land reforms launched in 2000. The country once had a booming economy, so much so that Zimbabwe was also called the breadbasket of Africa, but its economy collapsed as a result of political events. Basic commodities have became scarce, and the country was forced to import foodstuffs as HIV infection rates have soared. Zimbabwe was also hit by the world s biggest hyperinflation crisis in 2007, with inflation rates reaching almost 1,000 percent in 2006.

Although a military coup put an end to President Mugabe s rule in 2018 and he was replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa, the situation has not improved. The government has failed to revitalise the economy, but the blame – accoring to VP Kembo Mohadi – lies with the country s white colonisers, who failed to teach the Zimbabwean locals how to farm and run the economy. In short, Mr Mohadi believes that it is the colonisers fault that Zimbabwe has been struggling with food security issues during the past forty years of its independence. Neither the current, nor the previous government has made any mistakes, only the white settlers did.

Several ex-colonies have come forward recently to blame their former settlers for their problems. A few days ago Belgium s first black mayor, 72-year-old Pierre Kompany of Congolese descent, said that Belgium should apologise for its colonial past to the affected countries. In response, Belgian King Philippe made a historic gesture: he sent a letter to Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which he wrote that he deeply regretted what had happened in the past and he apologised for all the pain and suffering that Congolese people had endured during the colonial period.

Algeria also expects an apology from France for the  country s colonial history. In a recent interview with the France 24 news site, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said both countries would have an interest in settling their economic and cultural relations, all the more so because France is currently home to over six million Algerian nationals. Returning the skulls of 24 Algerian fighters – executed by the French in the 19th century, at the beginning of colonisation – could be an important milestone in bringing the two countries closer. The fighters earthly remains were laid to rest in Algeria in a ceremony that marked the anniversary of the country s independence.