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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
Manicaland residents have been urged to unite and work towards improving the province’s economic standing in line with Government’s devolution plans.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cde Mike Madiro, who is also the Zanu-PF provincial chairman, said Manicaland needs to have a new approach that reflects the vision and interests of the province.
He was speaking at the welcome reception for the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba, held in Mutare last week.
Cde Madiro said it was important for the re-engagement process to start from within the province.
Re-engagement
“As Government is working on the re-engagement process with international partners, we need to look at our own relationships internally,” said Cde Madiro. “How can we work on fixing our relationship with other countries when our own relationships as a nation are broken?
“We need to start working on our relationships so that those we want to attract to come and invest here, find us working together. We must be united so that we invest in our own economy.”
Cde Madiro said devolution should bring about a positive change in the lives of the people and all resources found in the province should contribute towards that change.
“Community share ownership trusts are not about diamonds only,” he said. “We have a lot of resources in this province. We have timber, we have tea (among others), we need to look at what they have contributed to the community’s coffers.
“Through devolution, we want to see a change in the lives of our chiefs and their subjects. In other countries like South Africa, communities are benefiting tremendously from their resources. we should do that as well.”
Cde Madiro said everyone should be given an opportunity to contribute towards the growth of the province.
He said Manicaland was competing with other provinces to see who grew their economy better hence it would take a collective effort to succeed.
“Everyone has to have a role in the success of the province and the country,” said Cde Madiro. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind, we want everyone to prosper so that the future generations will know that you were part of the successful process of growing the province.
Human resource capital
“The brains are already there. The human resource capital of Manicaland is abundant. We can easily turn this economy around using that and achieve the objectives of Vision 2030.”
Cde Madiro said it would take some time for the province to start seeing economic growth, adding that the change would only come if people worked as a unit.
“If you are still focused on pulling others behind, you are not yet ready to be part of the Second Republic,” he said. “We are a diverse community. But what is important is to recognise and realise that we must be united in our diversity. If we don’t realise that, we will never achieve Vision 2030.”
Online Reporter