‘Everyone must play their part for economic growth’

Blessings Chidakwa, Harare Bureau

EVERY Zimbabwean should play their part in the drive to grow the economy for the quick attainment of Vision 2030 of an empowered upper-middle income society, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.

Speaking after visiting former Cabinet Minister, Ambassador Cain Mathema, at his Harare home, VP Mohadi said political independence was achieved by those that resolved to fight the colonisers and it was time to fight for economic independence.

Amb Mathema, who was with his wife, has been recovering from a stroke suffered since the Covid-19 era.
He is now in the process of writing a new book.

Said VP Mohadi: “When we were fighting the war, we were fighting two revolutions, the first being the political emancipation, but we are now fighting the longest one, which is economic independence.

“We have said to ourselves that come 2030, we will have put Zimbabwe somewhere, an upper middle-income society. That bracket alone will improve the per capita for each and every individual in Zimbabwe and then we will say we have achieved.”

VP Mohadi, who was with Permanent Secretary in his Office Dr Benson Martins Dube, described Amb Mathema as a prolific writer, career politician, liberation struggle stalwart and a diplomat.

“He is a prolific writer who is still writing and has shown me some of his publications. We are talking about a hero of the liberation struggle and a hero in the literature world with over 25 published books.

“I had just come to pay him a visit. I had not seen him for quite a while. I decided to pay him a visit. I am happy that he is recovering very well, save for that the left hand is still weak but with exercise, we think he is going to recover,” he said.

Amb Mathema, who was in good spirits, said he was humbled by the VP’s visit, during which he also left some goodies.

The former Minister said it was high time youths took charge of national economic emancipation, adding they should take a leaf from Mbuya Nehanda who refused to be a Christian right up to the end.

“The youths of today must flood the economy, they must be economic owners of this country so that we really become independent,” he said.

Amb Mathema said his new book titled, “The unconventional war on Zimbabwe by the West and its own NGOs”, would be published soon. It talks about how the West are trying hard to cripple Zimbabwe through sanctions and their NGOs.