HARARE – President Mnangagwa is clear on what Government’s priorities are for the next five years and the Cabinet he will soon unveil is informed by the need to consolidate economic gains of his first term and maximise economic prosperity.
Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and Presidential Spokesperson Mr George Charamba told national broadcaster, ZBC, yesterday that it was important to note that President Mnangagwa ran on a ticket of continuity with his first term of office.
That was characterised by several high impact and community-specific programmes for improving people’s lives towards levels consistent with an empowered upper-middle income economy.
Ministerial portfolios to constitute the next Cabinet will be an indicator of the direction the economy is expected to take.
“The next thing is for His Excellency the President to now constitute his Government in a way that crystallises his vision, in terms of what he intends to do in the next five years,” said Mr Charamba.
“People don’t often appreciate that the way you constitute your Government essentially throws light in terms of what your area of emphasis during that term is going to be.
“So, you really want to look very closely at the ministerial portfolios that are formed, how they are meant and what they indicate by way of the direction of economic change and national direction.
“I can assure you the President has a sense of urgency, he knows what is at stake, what needs to be done.
“By the way, we shouldn’t forget that the President ran on the ticket of continuity. He started lots of far flung projects around infrastructure, be it roads, rail, water, energy; the whole area is yet to be completed,” said Mr Charamba.
Turning to the head of the SADC election observer mission, Dr Nevers Mumba, who has since been roundly condemned, Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa had engaged with his Zambian counterpart.
In their engagements, he said President Mnangagwa had stressed to President Hichilema that Dr Mumba’s excesses should not be let to spoil the excellent relations between the two countries.
“I am happy that we have had this kind of development because it then gets all of SADC, as member states, as citizens of SADC to really examine the whole notion of election observation.
“For instance, how do you strike a balance between the dictates of monitoring or observing an election on the one hand and the respect for the sovereignty of a country.”“Election observation is not an audit of the democratic credentials or claims of a nation State. They are no go areas. You don’t question a country’s right to make laws for itself.
“We have a minimum of three nations who are set to go for elections. We can’t proceed to Eswatini for the next elections with this mess where a chairman decides to abuse his office and destabilise a nation.
“The President has made it very clear to his counterpart in Zambia that whatever the excesses of the chairman of the SADC observer mission should never be allowed to injure the excellent relations between Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said. – Herald
