Online Reporter
Vusumuzi Dube, Deputy Radar Editor
THE National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) places the consolidation of macroeconomic stability at the heart of Zimbabwe’s path towards sustainable development, Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube has said.
In his preface to the official NDS2 document, Prof Ncube said the strategy, which is Zimbabwe’s second five-year plan, is focused on realising the success of Vision 2030 by transforming the economy into a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society.
“NDS2 prioritises consolidation of macroeconomic stability as the foundation for sustainable development,” said the Minister.
“Through prudent fiscal and monetary management, NDS2 ensures a stable economic environment that supports investment, job creation, inclusive growth and equitable wealth distribution, while safeguarding the national currency and strengthening financial sector resilience.”
He said the strategy builds on the successes of NDS1 by introducing innovative measures to accelerate inclusive, sustainable and resilient economic transformation.
Prof Ncube said the formulation of NDS2 benefited from broad-based consultations and the insights gained from Zimbabwe’s first-ever National Economic Census in 2024, which provided detailed data on the country’s formal and informal business sectors.
“These assessments provided critical insights into sectoral performance, institutional capacities and structural bottlenecks. Guided by this evidence, NDS2 is designed to define strategic interventions, strengthen coordination, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for more effective implementation,” he said.
Prof Ncube also underscored the Government’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and efficiency in public financial management, ensuring that resources are optimally mobilised and utilised to deliver high-quality services while maintaining fiscal discipline.
“NDS2 focuses on 10 national priority areas, down from 14 under NDS 1, anchored on the Integrated Results-Based Management (IRBM) framework, which integrates planning, budgeting, human resource management, information systems and performance monitoring.
“Each NDS 2 priority area is underpinned by clearly defined outcomes, measurable indicators and time-bound targets to reinforce implementation, monitoring and evaluation and real-time tracking of performance by each of the ten Thematic Working Groups,” he said.
Prof Ncube further revealed that trade and investment facilitation form another pillar of the strategy, with the Government seeking to leverage regional and international economic agreements to expand market access, attract sustainable capital inflows and promote value-added production.
“By creating an enabling environment for trade and investment, NDS2 seeks to stimulate private sector-led growth, enhance export performance and integrate Zimbabwe more effectively into global value chains,” said the Minister.
He emphasised that the strategy’s success depends on robust data and knowledge systems, with disaggregated economic performance data tracked across multiple dimensions such as gender, age and geographic location.
To support this, Prof Ncube said the National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) will work closely with government ministries and other stakeholders.
“The Strategy is anchored on robust data and knowledge systems, drawing from the results of the 2024 National Economic Census, which provides baseline data on the distribution of economic agents by size, industry, type of ownership, capacity utilisation and location, classified into either formal or informal establishments.
“The compilation of disaggregated performance data, under NDS 2, across multiple dimensions, including sex, age group, geographical location and special populations such as persons with disabilities, will facilitate systematic tracking of economic performance across sectors and Provinces,” said the Minister.
“NDS 2 outlines institutional roles in data provision and validation, clearly delineated for coordinated contributions by ZimStats, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, local authorities and other stakeholders. To support monitoring and evaluation, data units across Ministries, Departments and Agencies will be capacitated by ZimStats on data collection, analysis and reporting on the implementation of NDS 2 interventions and performance,” he added.
Prof Ncube said resource mobilisation is central to NDS 2’s implementation, with a diversified financial architecture drawing on fiscal revenues, domestic investment surpluses, diaspora participation, capital markets and public-private partnerships.
He said decentralisation and devolution are also key components, with government pledging timely disbursement of funds to support transformative provincial programmes, ensuring that no community is left behind.
“The effective implementation of NDS 2 will require a Whole of Government and Society approach, with the active participation of all stakeholders remaining invaluable. NDS 2 implementation is, therefore, not only the responsibility of Government, but a national compact built on unity of purpose, collective responsibility and inclusive participation.
“Through discipline, innovation and collaboration, NDS 2 builds on the achievements of NDS 1 to accelerate progress towards Vision 2030. The Strategy promotes sound macroeconomic management, good governance, private sector-led growth, social cohesion and inclusive service delivery, providing the foundation for an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society where all citizens actively participate in and benefit from Zimbabwe’s socio-economic transformation,” said Minister Ncube.
