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Luke Mafere Post Reporter—
MINISTER of State for Provincial Affairs (Manicaland) Cde Mandi Chimene has implored people of Manicaland to remain vigilant and united as the new year unfolds.
Minister Chimene took time off her holiday to address journalists at her offices where she shared the Manicaland vision for 2017 – to see the province working as a team in spearheading development.
“It is my wish to see the province united regardless of one’s political, religious or any other vices that might want to drive a divisive wedge among us.
“The primary focus should be to spearhead development that lifts the quality of life,” said Minister Chimene.
She said those aspiring to venture in different businesses in the province should do so orderly to avoid clashes with the law.
“Government’s biggest wish is to empower its people, but that should be done within the confines of the law.
“This province is endowed with lots of natural resources and artisanal miners should exploit those God given resources to enrich themselves and the nation, but even that should be done lawfully,” Minister Chimene added.
Manicaland is blighted with skirmishes as artisanal miners fight over mining claims, prompting interventions by the police to sanitise the situation.
The same disorderliness also affected resettlement areas where people ended up resettling themselves sometimes on forestry land or prescribed properties.
Minister Chimene said the agricultural sector would notice a huge boom this year due to the good rains and the Command Agriculture programme.
“In farming we have been blessed with the rains that came on time and in large volumes, thereby resuscitating our livestock situation and set us on track for a bumper crop harvest.
“The Command Agriculture programme in the province is progressing well,” said Minister Chimene.
She however, fired warning shots to lazy public service officials, saying there was no room for sleepers in 2017.
She said focus should be on delivering competent services to the people, failure of which would result in her cracking the whip.
“Public officials are there to serve the people and not spend time doing non-core businesses as was the case in 2016.
“Those officials that fail to honour the people as the most important constituency in Government will only have themselves to blame if exposed,” said Minister Chimene.
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