Government will sustain the development momentum that has seen more than 7 000 high impact life-changing projects being completed across the country in the past five years, President Mnangagwa has said.
Towards Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-class economy, President Mnangagwa has put shoulder to the wheel, constructing roads in every part of Zimbabwe, modernising and climate-proofing the agriculture sector through mechanisation, irrigation infrastructure and dam construction.
The education and health sectors in particular, have been transformed with focus on disadvantaged children and those with disabilities.
As a result of the deliberate Government policies on agriculture, the country has now achieved food security and sovereignty with surpluses of all grains expected this season.
In his keynote address at the National Independence Day Celebrations in Mt Darwin yesterday, President Mnangagwa underscored the importance of Zimbabweans in the building of a prosperous nation.
This is captured aptly in the theme of this year Independence Day Celebrations, “Zim@43, Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo.”
“The successes realised by the Second Republic are irreversible. To date, my administration has implemented about 7 000 high impact, life-changing projects since 2018 as a bedrock to lift our people out of poverty into prosperity,” said the President.
He said while inflationary pressures were triggering price increases in the past, interventions by Government have arrested inflation and ensured price stability.
“It is encouraging that inflationary pressures continue to ease due to a combination of fiscal consolidation and tight monetary policy measures”.
President Mnangagwa said the notable expansion, productivity and profitability of entities across all sectors of the economy have seen the country recording the highest GDP growth in the region with foreign currency earnings breaking records in 2022.
“Let us continue to fully utilise our internal resources to modernise and industrialise our country for a higher quality of life for all our people,” he said.
The President said in the agriculture sector, Zimbabwe is “Going for Growth”, anchored by an assortment of policies such as the Presidential Teak Grease Programme with over 1 million households having been supported with teak grease to mitigate the January disease.
Cattle that died from the January disease in Fort Rixon, Insiza District in January 2023
President Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu-PF Vice-President Cde Kembo Mohadi, Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Politburo members, Cabinet Ministers, senior Government officials and service chiefs, said under his Government’s Agriculture Mechanisation Programme, the country’s farmers have increased access to mechanisation capacities.
“As a result of public private partnerships, a total of 1 641 tractors and combine harvesters were distributed by December 2022, while 4 400 additional tractors are being imported towards closing the farm mechanisation gap.
“To ensure that our people fully enjoy improved productivity of our land and the ongoing modernisation of my Administration, 2-wheeler tractor-kits will be availed to our communal and smallholder farmers,” he said.
President Mnangagwa added that dams being constructed across all provinces are set to ensure aspects related to hydro power, fisheries, irrigation development and potable water benefit communities with Mashonaland Central Province alone having benefited from the construction of Semwa, Bindura, Dande and Mbada dams, in a clear sign of development that leaves no one and no place behind.
“Piped water schemes have also been established at Chahwanda, Bveke, Kaitano, Kamutsenzere and Chigango. Additionally, the Second Republic is in the process of drilling one borehole per village across the country, with the accompanying nutrition gardens, orchards, and fisheries also being established.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to improve the quality of life of our people, no matter where they live,” he said.
Under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa Programme, President Mnangagwa said people are being supported to grow traditional grains and cereals with more and more households moving from subsistence farming to undertaking farming as a business.
“This 2022/2023 season, our country is projecting over 3,2 million metric tonnes of cereals against an annual requirement of 2,2 million metric tonnes.
“This momentum will be sustained and the successes consolidated. Together, as one united and hard-working people, we have attained food security and food sovereignty,” he said.
Apart from that, infrastructure development projects embarked upon by the Second Republic have been game changers and remain on course.
“We are indeed proud as a country that this sector has scored unprecedented results on the back of the use of our own internal resources and local expertise.
A section of the 5km upgraded road linking Beitbridge Border Post and the major highways to Bulawayo and Harare (Pictures by Thupeyo Muleya)
“The Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway will soon be complete, with works on the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, Mutare Christmas Pass as well as Harare-Chirundu Highway having commenced,” President Mnangagwa said.
In Mashonaland Central, works will be accelerated on the Harare-Bindura-Shamva, Bindura-Matepatepa-Mt Darwin, Chimhanda-Rushinga, Muzarabani-Mahuwe, St Alberts-Dotito and Harare-Guruve-Kanyemba roads as well as the Ndodahondo-Mukumbura Border Post.
“The modernisation of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and construction of the Mbudzi Interchange in Harare are ongoing. These and other projects undertaken to date are enhancing internal connectivity as well as establishing Zimbabwe as a regional gateway into the continent,” the President said.
