BRICK-by-brick Zimbabweans will build the country towards a prosperous future notwithstanding the current challenges, President Mnangagwa has said.
Reflecting on his two years since he assumed office, the President said he was committed to improving the welfare of the populace and highlighted several projects that have been implemented under his watch.
“Two years ago today, I was inaugurated as your President. I vowed to serve Zimbabwe and its people so that we could move towards a more prosperous future . . . Zimbabwe is not without its challenges. But rest assured that myself and this Government are fully committed to improving our great nation for the benefit of all Zimbabweans . . . Brick-by-brick we will build Zimbabwe,” he said.
The President began his first substantive term on August 26, and breaking away with the past, his administration has been focused more on delivering services to the people, wooing investors and re-engaging with all global nations.
Winning plaudits from across the political divide and gaining international recognition, the President — in his short stint in office — has managed to reintroduce the Zimbabwean dollar after more than a decade of using foreign currencies, a move that has ensured that the country not only asserts its sovereignty, but also improves local industry’s competitiveness.
In just two years, the Government has sealed billion-dollar agreements in the critical mining sector that include the US$4.2 billion Great Dyke Platinum Mine which is already under construction, while the US$4 billion Karo Resources Mhondoro-Ngezi platinum project is ahead of schedule.
In terms of infrastructural development, the Second Republic has completed the Chiredzi-Tanganda Road, with Makuti-Chirundu and Karoi-Binga roads currently under construction.
Apart from that, the dualisation of the vital Harare-Beitbridge highway is underway, with local companies at the forefront of developing the major highway which links Zimbabwe to its major regional trading partner, South Africa.
So far, more than 200 kilometres of road have been resurfaced to reverse the decay to crucial infrastructure under a US$900 million kitty from the Government.
Despite the continued existence of illegal economic sanctions, Zimbabwe — with no access to lines of credit —continues to defy the odds as policies that are being implemented by the Government bring price stability and sanity in the market.
The transparency of the Second Republic has resulted in Zimbabwe being ranked third in Africa on budget transparency by the Open Budget Survey.
An outbreak of the Covid-19 global plague at the beginning of the year stalled some of the projects, but now, even under the shadow of the
pandemic, Zimbabwe is making enormous strides to improve the lives of the people.
To mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, perennial droughts and the unjustified economic sanctions, the Second Republic has provided social safety nets to the disadvantaged people in Zimbabwe and a climate-proofed agricultural concept, Pfumvudza, has seen more than 1,8 million farmers being trained.
The Government, that has improved power generation, is also providing subsidized agricultural inputs for vulnerable households.
In mitigating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government availed an $18 billion stimulus package, to help regenerate the economy post-Covid-19.
Just recently, the Government concluded a Global Compensation Agreement with white former farmers for compensation on infrastructural developments made on farms in fulfilment of the country’s Constitution and put an end to years of disputes.
Other key projects that have been implemented by the Second Republic include the construction of dams, notably in Causeway, Gwayi-Shangani and Marovanyati and the expansion of the RGM International Airport.
In pursuit of Vision 2030 of becoming a middle class economy, agriculture, tourism and mining are expected to contribute towards the realisation of a US$25 billion economy by 2025.
On Wednesday President Mnangagwa launched a US$8,2 billion Agriculture Recovery and Livestock Growth Strategy that came a few months after he launched a US$5 billion Tourism Strategy in Victoria Falls.
The Mining Industry Strategy is expected to contribute US$12 billion, with signs on the ground showing that this could be achieved well before 2025.
As a means of stabilising the economy, the Second Republic put in place a raft of economic revival measures such as the introduction of the Reserve Bank Foreign Exchange Auction System, which has, since inception in June, helped build business confidence, improve access to foreign currency and dealt with the black market which was being used by some businesses to manipulate the economy. – Herald
