Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira, [email protected]
AFRICAN Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Forum Chairperson and Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged African countries to emulate Zimbabwe’s commitment to strengthening economic governance, building accountable institutions and voluntarily subjecting itself to review under the APRM framework.
President Museveni commended Zimbabwe for the progress it has made within a short period since acceding to the APRM, saying the country’s experience should inspire other African nations.
He said this in remarks delivered on his behalf by Uganda’s Vice-President Jessica Rose Epel Alupo at the launch of the APRM Zimbabwe Chapter in Harare yesterday.
The APRM is a voluntary African-led self-monitoring mechanism established by the African union in 2003 to assess governance and socio-economic development among participating member States.
Under the mechanism, participating countries undertake peer reviews in four key thematic areas: democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development.
Said President Museveni: “As we celebrate Zimbabwe’s achievement, I encourage African union member States that have not yet acceded to the APRM to do so.
“Equally, I urge those who have acceded but are not yet in the line of undertaking their reviews to have outstanding national programmes of action to draw inspiration from Zimbabwe’s example.”
President Museveni said the official launch of the Targeted Review on Economic Governance and Management demonstrated Zimbabwe’s continued commitment to strengthening economic governance, accountable institutions and sustainable socio-economic transformation in pursuit of the aspirations of Agenda 2063.
“I congratulate Zimbabwe on the remarkable progress it has made since acceding to the APRM on 8 February 2022 as the 44th member State. Within a relatively short period, Zimbabwe successfully completed its Targeted Review on
Economic Governance and Management, presented the report to the APRM Forum of Heads of State and
Government on 13 February 2026 and has now launched a nationally owned and hosted national programme of action,” he said.
“This achievement reflects strong political leadership, effective institutional coordination and a firm commitment to governance reform. The decision to undertake a Targeted Review on Economic Governance and Management is both timely and strategic. At a time when Africa is accelerating implementation of Agenda 2063 and the African
Continental Free Trade Area, sound economic governance is indispensable for promoting investment, enhancing competitiveness, strengthening regional value chains and delivering sustainable and inclusive growth.”
President Museveni said the review recognised Zimbabwe’s continued commitment to regional integration through
SADC, Comesa and the African Continental Free Trade Area, while identifying practical opportunities to strengthen economic governance and institutional effectiveness.
“Your Excellency, the APRM remains Africa’s foremost governance instrument conceived by Africans, owned by Africans and driven by the conviction that Africa’s governance challenges are best addressed through African leadership and African solutions,” he said.
“Through voluntary self-assessment, peer learning, mutual accountability and the exchange of best practises, the mechanism has become an indispensable platform for strengthening institutions, informing policy reforms, promoting peace and accelerating socio-economic transformation across our continent.
“However, the true value of the APRM does not lie in the review report itself. Its greatest value lies in the implementation of the national programme of action.”
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira commended President Mnangagwa’s leadership, saying Zimbabwe’s governance efforts had been validated through the APRM process.
“Authority is a collective mentor. Your objectives are rooted in human needs; this is what we call village wisdom.
“We do not fight anyone, but we just seek to fight poverty,” said Prof Murwira.
Former Chairperson of the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons and Lead Panellist for Zimbabwe, Ambassador El-Hefny
Mahmoud, said the launch marked the culmination of a significant milestone in Harare’s APRM journey, which began when the country acceded to the mechanism in 2020.
He said the review mission observed Government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening governance, promoting accountability and advancing sustainable national development.
Ambassador Mahmoud said the review team covered all 10 provinces and engaged a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
“Throughout these consultations, one clear message consistently emerged. Zimbabwe remains firmly committed to building a resilient, prosperous, and inclusive economy despite confronting considerable domestic and external challenges.
“Guided by Vision 2030, the country’s reform agenda continues to pursue macroeconomic stability, industrialisation, infrastructure development, value addition, agricultural transformation, and investment promotion with the objective of attaining an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“The review recognised that these reforms have been pursued under particularly challenging circumstances.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe has demonstrated remarkable resilience by pursuing homegrown reforms, strengthening regional and international partnerships, and promoting economic diversification. Our assessment also found encouraging progress in Zimbabwe’s commitment to internationally recognised governance standards, which demonstrates Zimbabwe’s determination to progressively align its governance framework with continental and international best practices,” he said.
Ambassador Mahmoud highlighted several initiatives spearheaded by Government, including village business units, agro-processing, value addition and skills development programmes.
“During our engagements across all 10 provinces of the country, one philosophy consistently resonated with stakeholders. ‘Nyika inovakwa nevenevayo/ A country is built by its own people/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo’. I hope I pronounced it properly. This vision closely mirrors the philosophy of the African Peer Review Mechanism. The
APRM firmly believes that sustainable governance and development cannot be imposed from outside,” he said.
Several speakers commended Zimbabwe for its efforts to improve the lives of ordinary citizens and strengthen governance systems.
Among them were APRM Panel Member Dr Thelma Awori and African union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals Mrs Francisca Belope, who was represented by Mrs Claudine Sigam.
