Zimbabwe president Emerson Mnangagwa has admitted that the country’s economy is facing challenged.

Mnangagwa made the confession when he was presenting his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday.

In his speech Mnangagwa said he is aware of the challenges being face by Zimbabweans, urged them to be patient.

“I’m aware of the pain being experienced by the poor and the marginalized, getting the economy working again from being dead will require time, patience, unity of purpose and perseverance,” said Mnangagwa.

Zimbabwe has been facing a myriad of challenges including 18-hour power outages. It is also experiencing a crippling cash crisis for both local and foreign currency, resulting in Zimbabweans having to buy cash from parallel markets at a huge premium.