Zimbabweans have reacted with disbelief to news that the government has approved plans to rename major roads and buildings after "national heroes" - including 10 streets named after President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Many of those honoured fought in the 1970s guerrilla war against white-minority rule and went on to become prominent figures in independent Zimbabwe.

Other African leaders such as Congo's Patrice Lumumba, Jomo Kenyatta and Abdel Gamal Nasser are to have roads named after them, along with international leaders such as Cuba's Fidel Castro, Leonid Brezhnev of the former Soviet Union and China's Mao Zedong.

Many Zimbabweans took to social media to express concern that the cabinet spent time discussing the renaming of roads and buildings when the country was in a dire economic crisis.

One Twitter user joked that maybe now prices will fall and exchange rates stabilise:

Another user expressed concern over the cost of updating records:

This doesn’t bring food on people’s tables. This government majors in minor things. Vakomana, what did we do to deserve this government. This is an added cost as people will have to update records.....

While another sarcastically applauded the government for its "very good use of time":

Instead of reforming our justice system, fixing corruption, health system, economy and the abuse going on, you are busy renaming streets in honour of yourselves. Very good use of time

Zimbabwe is suffering from a shortage of cash, which has led to the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar, after a decade when the US and South African currencies were used instead.

(BBC)