Chronicle Editor
Freedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
Deputy Ministers yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his thriving Pricabe Farm in Sherwood, on the outskirts of Kwekwe.
The deputy ministers, who are largely youthful, embarked on the trip to Kwekwe to salute the Head of State and Government for having faith in them, resulting in their appointment despite age.
When he became national leader from late 2017, President Mnangagwa vowed to promote young people, including through giving them Cabinet posts and other top responsibilities.
The President has fulfilled his promise.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Cde Sleiman Kwidini, who was part of the delegation, said they decided to pay a courtesy call on the President to thank him for taking a great stance in appointing mostly youthful deputy ministers.
“We had said we needed to find time at the convenience of the President to visit him and thank him for considering youths in his Government,” he said.
“If you realise, the majority of deputy ministers now and for the first time in Zimbabwe, are youths in their early 40s and this vision by the President is commendable hence we decided to visit him as a group to thank him.”
Deputy Minister Kwidini said they also took the opportunity to congratulate the President for successfully hosting the 44th Sadc Summit of Heads of State and Government and taking over the Chairmanship of the bloc.
“We also took the opportunity to congratulate the President on his 82nd birthday ,” he said.
Deputy Minister Kwidini added that his counterparts also took time to appreciate the massive farming operations at the First Family’s farm.
“Some of my colleagues were visiting this model of farming excellence for the first time and it was an eye opener as we toured the fields where the President is using his farm to maximum capacity thereby contributing immensely to our agricultural economy,” he said.
On September 12, President Mnangagwa led a delegation of Cabinet Ministers on a tour of Pricabe Farm so they could have an appreciation of the First Family’s agricultural activities.
The tour came after a request made by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka who wanted ministers to draw lessons on how the First Family has used agriculture as an economic transformative tool.
Pricabe Farm is an epitome of agricultural productivity, which visiting Presidents and other top regional and continental officials are seeking an opportunity to tour.
When ministers visited, the President had thriving wheat and potato crops and had an opportunity to appreciate the importance of mechanisation as an agent for agricultural development.
They also had the opportunity to see different breeds of livestock including the legendary Ankole breed, which was first domesticated in parts of Africa such as Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.
Online Reporter