Minister Nyoni on Command programmes

Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday News Reporter
THE Minister of Women Affairs, Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, has urged women to participate in Command programmes that have been initiated by Government so that they play an active role in turning around the economy.

The Government has initiated a number of Command programmes among them Command Agriculture, Command Livestock, Command Fisheries, Command Wildlife, Command Housing so as to revitalise the economy.

Addressing women, children and the elderly at Mustard Seed Communities Home at Reigate in Bulawayo yesterday, Cde Nyoni said women should stand up and benefit from one of the successful programmes the country has initiated.

“We want all the women to be involved in the Command programmes starting with Command Agriculture and Command Livestock. Women should be educated so as to benefit from these programmes. Agritex officers should go around and make sure women participate. I plead with all the women and the nation to take the President (Mnangagwa) seriously for Zimbabwe is on the road to recovery. We will not ever have a leader who supervises development like how the President does and that says a lot,” she said.

Cde Nyoni said she will personally reward women who take part and show positive results in the programmes. She said the visits of the day were a follow up to a meeting held during this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) where women met the First Lady Umama Auxillia Mnangagwa.

“Today’s visit is a follow-up to the meeting with the First Lady at the Trade Fair and it shows we are hitting the ground running as it is not business as usual. The ministry will continue supporting women’s programmes through the Women Development Bank thus women should group up and come up with projects,” she said.

The ministry is on a tour of supervising projects that it has implemented nationwide with a visit to Mashonaland Central on Friday and Matabeleland North the following week.

“Back then the First Lady was feared for nothing but now the First Lady has few words and a lot of actions. This economy is turning around like never before. Loba ulesilonda, ungafaka umuthi awupholi khonapho khonapho (even if you are injured, if you put medication you do no heal instantly). The doctors, President ED and the First Lady have come and are bandaging the wounds up with the assistance of committed individuals like me, Sithembiso Nyoni among other people,” she said.

Minister Nyoni toured projects around the compound that include layers, piggery, bakery, weaving projects and the disabled home unit. The layers project has 198 layers with a produce of 180 eggs per day and the pig project houses 18 pigs and nine piglets with over 60 having been slaughtered in the past two years since inception.

Minister Nyoni also visited a newly opened His Praise Ministries Church funded Early Childhood Learning (ECD) school at Gumtree which is run by Pastor Cleo Shoniwa having realised that a number of children were failing to do ECD because the schools are far.-@mthabisi_mthire