MDC-T backs government’s economic transformation

Douglas Mwonzora
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THE MDC-T is ready to work with the Government towards the transformation of Zimbabwe’s economy in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 to turn Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy.

In an interview, MDC-T leader Senator Douglas Mwonzora said his party was eager to work with all stakeholders to meet Government targeted goals and improve the livelihoods of the people.

“We are prepared to discuss with Government,” he said. “We are discussing with Government in Parliament anyway; we are discussing with Government in the local authorities anyway. So we need to discuss so that the lives of our people are transformed for the better.

“The MDC-T wants to work with all the stakeholders, including the Government for the betterment of the lives of the Zimbabwean people. That is why we have called for dialogue. We have a number of issues that will help to improve the lives of our people.

“In that dialogue we want to discuss the state of the economy. We have a number of ideas on how we can improve the economy. In whatever we are going to do as an MDC-T, we are going to be guided by what is in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people.”

Presently, the MDC-T is running most urban councils where residents have been receiving a raw deal as the councils fail to provide essentials such as water.

Apart from failing to deliver service successive MDC councils have also had a number of councillors and senior officials, especially in Harare and Chitungwiza, allegedly involved in brazen corruption.

This, Sen Mwonzora said, is about to stop.

“We are running the municipalities right now,” said Sen Mwonzora. “Our new party administration has just taken over most local authorities. We want to attract investment in the municipalities, into the towns so that our people get jobs.

“We need to create jobs, we need to alleviate poverty, we need to attract investment in the country”.

Sen Mwonzora commended President Mnangagwa for working towards the revival of the economy through introducing a number of policies such as the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the Government’s economic blueprint running from 2021 to 2025, which will be anchored on devolution and decentralisation plus prudent use of public resources.

NDS1 is the second step of the Second Republic’s drive to attain Vision 2030 of achieving a middle income economy in the next decade and succeeds the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) that ran from October 2018 to the end of last year, and which through rigorous fiscal and monetary reform created the required stable economic foundation for growth and development

“What is important is that all the stakeholders must work together towards implementing Government policies. A good blue print needs implementation, it needs the cooperation of everyone. All stakeholders must be involved,” said Sen Mwonzora.

The NDS1 was a culmination of extensive consultations in Government, private sector, Political Actors Dialogue, labour, civil society, academia and development partners among others.

The NDS1 framework will ensure sustainable growth of the mining sector towards the US$12 billion mining sector economy.

Some of the areas the NDS1 focuses on are infrastructure, digital economy and housing delivery to avail affordable and quality settlements in urban and rural areas.

Sen Mwonzora said the country should move away from toxic politics and work towards to the transformation of the country’s economy. – Herald