Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
STAKEHOLDERS in Manicaland have been urged to align their development initiatives with council master plans to ensure coordinated progress towards the attainment of Vision 2030.
Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) for Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Nditwani Muleya made the rallying call during stakeholder engagement meetings held across districts in the province.
Ms Muleya stressed that a unified development framework is necessary to avoid duplication of efforts, resource wastage, and fragmented progress.
“Everyone should be familiar with the council’s master plan as we work towards Vision 2030. Development initiatives must not operate in isolation. All departments, private entities, and development partners must align their work with the council’s vision, ensuring that we move in a unified direction, and can better assess our collective impact,” she said.
Ms Muleya warned that uncoordinated development efforts could hinder national progress and disenfranchise communities that deserve meaningful change.
“Let us adopt a unified approach, follow the same roadmap, and be accountable to the same vision,” she urged.
Her visit was part of a nationwide tour to assess local-level progress on Vision 2030, the target to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
The national vision, championed by President Mnangagwa, emphasises inclusive, community-driven development guided by the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and the country’s devolution agenda.
Ms Muleya used the meetings to call for strengthened cooperation and collective action among all development actors in the districts.
“Let us work together, for without teamwork, we risk reaching 2030 without transforming the lives of our people. To achieve Vision 2030, we must be highly coordinated under the guidance of the District Development Coordinator (DDC), organised, and united as one. This unity of purpose is the only way we can achieve our national goals,” she said.
Ms Muleya added that President Mnangagwa is encouraging the emergence of model districts that can set the pace by achieving Vision 2030 targets ahead of others.
“It is possible to attain Vision 2030 before 2030. We aspire to have districts that exemplify inclusive and responsive development, and serve as benchmarks for others. Let us put the President’s vision into action, as we are the foot soldiers driving this agenda forward,” she said.
Ms Muleya reminded local authorities of their pivotal role under devolution.
“President Mnangagwa activated devolution, which is enshrined in our Constitution. Powers have been devolved from the Central Government to provinces, and subsequently, to districts, where local authorities hold sway,” she said, adding that under this governance model, councils must be proactive in addressing challenges.
“Ninety percent of the challenges you face as a district can be resolved locally. Only 10 percent require escalation to the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution’s Office. The solutions and resources often lie within your reach, provided you work together,” she said.
Ms Muleya emphasised that under the current development thrust, there is no room for complacency or disjointed service delivery.
“We are committed to modernising our infrastructure, which entails upgrading hospitals, clinics, roads, and schools collectively, as a team. There can be no compromise on service delivery,” she said.
Ms Muleya said the ongoing provincial tours serve, not only to monitor progress, but also to inspire and motivate stakeholders to take ownership of the development.
“I will be visiting Midlands, Matabeleland North and South, Bulawayo, and Harare. I am providing all provinces with sufficient time to implement our discussions, after which I will return to assess the progress,” she said.
Ms Muleya reiterated that development can only be achieved through unwavering commitment, strategic planning, and full participation from all sectors of society.
“As I continue these meetings across provinces, the message is clear: achieving Vision 2030 requires collective effort from everyone, including local leaders, traditional chiefs, councillors, civil servants, partners, and residents. No individual or community should be left behind,” she said.
Her message received positive responses from both council leaders and traditional authorities.
Makoni Rural District Council chairperson, Councillor Ellah Hlanguyo pledged to reinforce collaboration among departments and with partners to accelerate progress.
“We have been encouraged to foster teamwork and utilise this collaborative approach to attain Vision 2030. Devolution is now an active agenda that we must embrace. The emphasis on leveraging local resources and capacities aligns with our obligations under NDS1,” she said.
Nyanga Rural District Council chairman, Advocate Fungai Chimwamurombe said the engagement, which combined education, evaluation, and mobilisation, demonstrated Government’s commitment to decentralised, inclusive, and participatory development.
“If we work together, as advised, and avoid working in isolation, our district will develop as we strive to achieve Vision 2030. We will follow this guidance and work with the council’s master plans in mind. By empowering local authorities and communities to take charge of their development agendas, this approach brings us closer to realising our goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2030,” he said.
Traditional leaders also supported the call, acknowledging that development efforts in the past were often hindered by poor coordination.
Chiefs Tandi of Makoni and Tangwena of Nyanga respectively admitted that while many projects were planned in the district, implementation had lagged due to disjointed efforts.
“Previously, project implementation was lacking in our district due to a lack of interdepartmental collaboration. However, with this message, we anticipate that progress will be made, and the livelihoods of our people will be improved,” said Chief Tandi.
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