Online Reporter
THE curtain has fallen on the ZANU PF 22nd Annual National People’s Conference, a gathering that has, for days, reverberated with the potent theme “Attainment of Vision 2030 through Economic Empowerment and Value Addition”.
The halls were filled with robust debate, the resolutions are now etched in official documents and the rhetoric has painted a picture of a prosperous, empowered Zimbabwe by 2030.
The sheer ambition to achieve the Zimbabwe we want is undeniable.
Vision 2030 is a necessary North Star for a nation that has endured its share of economic headwinds.
The focus on value addition — moving beyond the export of raw minerals and agricultural produce to finished goods — is economically astute.
The emphasis on broad-based economic empowerment is socially vital.
The resolutions passed, touching on everything from infrastructure development to good governance, provide a comprehensive blueprint.
As the country transitions from the highly successful five-year economic development plan, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), to NDS2, the logical next step is relentless, unwavering execution.
Clearly, there is a palpable sense of urgency across the nation.
The citizenry is hungry for progress they can see, touch and feel in their daily lives.
They hear of vast lithium deposits and dream of battery factories, not just ore exports.
They envision their local clinics stocked with medicines and their children’s schools equipped with modern tools.
The conference has successfully set this expectation.
We cannot afford to falter in delivery.
As President Mnangagwa rightly observed in his keynote address on Friday, the ruling party is “indeed the engine room of national development”.
What is comforting is the fact
that the foundation upon which this future must be built has already been set.
Significant successes have been realised and must be acknowledged as the bedrock for the next phase.
The stabilisation of the currency, the expansion of infrastructure projects like the Hwange Thermal Power Station Units 7 and 8, and the growth in the mining and agriculture sectors are not insignificant achievements.
They are proof of concept — demonstrating that with focused effort, progress is possible.
These successes are the first bricks laid on the path to 2030.
They are the evidence that the destination is not a mirage but a tangible possibility.
However, a foundation is not a finished structure.
To rest upon these laurels would be to misunderstand their purpose.
Their true value lies in the confidence they should instil to double down, to accelerate and to build upwards with even greater determination.
The call, therefore, is for a radical shift in focus from planning to performance.
This requires a whole-of-government approach characterised by accountability, transparency and efficiency.
The resolutions must be broken down into actionable, time-bound deliverables with clear lines of responsibility.
The private sector, the true engine of value addition and job creation, must be engaged not as a bystander but as a core partner, with red tape slashed to create a genuinely enabling environment, a development that is already underway.
Furthermore, the theme of “Economic Empowerment” must be translated into tangible, broad-based inclusion.
True empowerment means creating the conditions where the small-scale farmer, the young tech entrepreneur and the woman running a market stall can all thrive.
It means ensuring that the value added to our platinum, our diamonds and our tobacco translates into value added to the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans through better healthcare, education and public services.
In the final analysis, the 22nd National People’s Conference will be judged not by the grandeur of its speeches, but by the tangible outcomes it precipitates.
As we move to the next chapter in our development trajectory, let us choose a path of discipline, of difficult choices and of unwavering commitment to execution.
The vision has been articulated, the plans have been debated.
The time for talk is over.
The nation has provided the mandate; history now demands delivery.
Let the relentless pursuit of implementation begin.
And let us build the future we want in every mine, every field, every factory and every home across this great and sacred land.
The foundation is set.
Now, let us raise the edifice.
