The main contradictions and obstacles confronting the Five-Year National Development Plan

Abstract

The general aims and objectives of this paper have been set by the organisers of this seminar, that is, mainly "to make broadcasters understand the details, general goals and problems of the Five-Year National Development Plan (NDP)". We have been asked, in particular, to deal with "the main theoretical problems of the NDP". It is quite inevitable, therefore, that you will find a certain degree of overlap between this particular paper and that of my colleague from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development (MFEPD). This paper, in particular, seeks to examine what (main) contradictions characterize and confront the NDP in Zimbabwe today. To perform this task I have divided the paper into four parts. Part I deals with the method and the concepts used in the paper. Its purpose is to introduce the reader to the general framework of asking questions that we operate within. It also deals with the question of what contradictions are. Finally, it introduces the theoretical concepts/terms that we use in our analysis. Part II gives an outline of planning while Part III deals with the difficulties of planning in Zimbabwe. Part IV is the conclusion.