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Cletus Mushanawani in NYAZURA
A deliberate policy of looking inward for solutions and financial resources, has seen Zimbabwe being the fastest growing economy in SADC in the last three years, President Mnangagwa told thousands of ZANU PF supporters in Nyazura yesterday during a Manicaland provincial star rally.
President Mnangagwa stressed that Zimbabweans have the burden of building and industrialising their country.
“We have the fastest growing economy in our region for three consecutive years now. Our growth was above 5 percent,” said the President.
“The countries that follow us are experiencing economic growth of around 3,1 percent and 3,2 percent per annum. This is because the Second Republic has realised that the growth of a country depends on the resources of that country.
“The resources constitute manpower development within our people and those we were given by our Lord. As Government, we agreed that we should be food self-sufficient and for the past three years, we have been food secure, and with our agriculture model, I don’t believe that we will be food insecure again.”
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe has actually reached a stage where it is now able to export grain to other countries because there is enough in the silos.
To ensure industrial growth, the Second Republic is encouraging the teaching of science, technology and mathematics subjects in tertiary institutions, said President Mnangagwa.
“We want our children in universities to pursue science subjects that will ensure the industrialisation of our nation.
“When the Second Republic came into power, about 37 percent of the products that you would find on supermarket shelves were produced locally, but if you visit the supermarkets today, you will realise that 80 percent of the products are produced locally.
“Our economy is growing and for instance, in 2018, our agricultural economy was US$2,8 billion and now we are above US$8 billion,” he said.
The mining sector, which generated US$2,7 billion in 2017, moved to about US$6 billion by end of last year and is expected to hit US$12 billion by year end.
As production levels continue to rise, President Mnangagwa said they are taking advantage of good relationships with Mozambique to develop the sea port of Beira so as to ensure the easy flow of exports and imports.
“This means we have to dualise the Harare to Mutare and then the Mutare-Beira highway. This will be one of the major projects for Government to embark on during our second term of office so that the majority our exports and imports are transported using this route.
“It is only about 600km from Harare to Beira, rather than travelling more than 2 000km to Durban in South Africa,” said President Mnangagwa.
In terms of medical oxygen, Zimbabwe has adequate stocks since it is now producing its own at Verify Engineering on the outskirts of Mutare.
The plant was set up following the high demand for medical oxygen following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are now exporting medical oxygen. Only one week’s medical oxygen production is sufficient for the country and the rest is for exports,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the Second Republic’s second term of office will see it establishing more vocational training centres across the country to equip young Zimbabweans with technical skills so they develop their nation.
“We will establish more vocational training centres in all districts. This will also help to fight the drug abuse scourge which has affected our country.
“As the fathers, we cannot leave the country in the hands of drug addicts. We should all join hands and fight drug abuse among our youths,” he said.
On the sanctions, President Mnangagwa said the embargo will not stop Zimbabweans from developing their country.
“The West imposed sanctions on us because they thought that Zimbabweans would revolt against the Government and have their puppets in Government for them to loot our resources.
“We are a revolutionary people. Our independence and democracy did not come to us on a silver platter. No one gave us this independence; we fought for it.
“It is ours; we demanded it and we got it. No one will take it from us. No one should teach us democracy. We are sovereign State. We are an equal member of the United Nations like any other country on the planet.
“We are a proud people, the people of Munhumutapa. No one can look down upon us. We will develop our country ourselves. Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” he said.
President Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to jealously guard the peace and tranquillity prevailing in the country. No country will develop where there is no peace, he said.
“This week, we were celebrating Heroes and Defence Forces days and we want to hail our security sectors for the peace in the country,” he said.
Online Reporter