Online Reporter
President Mnangagwa
We reproduce in full President Mnangagwa’s foreword to the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which he unveiled on Thursday last week.
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The National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) signifies our resolve as a nation to transition towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society as enunciated in Vision 2030.
This National Development Strategy builds on the solid foundation laid by the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (2018-2020) and the National Development Strategy 1 (2021-2025), consolidating the gains achieved over the last five years in macro-economic stability; infrastructure development; climate proofing agriculture; structural transformation, underpinned by value addition and beneficiation; and the ease of doing business.
The strategy is premised on our national priorities that span across all dimensions of development, and is fully aligned with regional, continental and global development frameworks, including the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (2020-2030), the African union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030).
In pursuit of equitable development, NDS2 embraces devolution and decentralisation and promotes empowerment programmes that also address the needs of women, the youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Its implementation is anchored in stakeholder participation, value for money and timely delivery and benchmarking of projects and programmes.
Successful implementation of NDS2 requires that we embrace the tenets of good governance, and uphold transparency and accountability over the utilisation of scarce public resources.
This shall be underpinned by inculcating the culture of discipline, responsiveness, hard and honest work, zero tolerance to corruption and rent-seeking behaviours.
NDS2 will further strengthen social cohesion through a renewed social contract anchored in trust, dialogue and shared national values.
Guided by the Tripartite Negotiating Forum, Government will deepen collaboration among the State, business and labour to foster mutual accountability and collective action towards inclusive and sustainable national development.
In line with our Zimbabwe is Open for Business drive, NDS2 builds upon the milestones achieved under NDS1 in improving the ease of doing business.
The strategy continues to advance reforms aimed at enhancing competitiveness and reducing the cost and complexity of doing business.
Priority will be given to rationalising overlapping licences, streamlining regulatory requirements and reforming the national licensing framework to eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies and duplication.
The private sector remains the principal driver of economic growth and transformation.
Accordingly, NDS2 provides a strengthened framework for continuous engagement and collaboration with the private sector as a trusted partner in promoting investment, driving structural transformation and advancing national development.
In pursuit of a modern, efficient and accountable public sector, NDS2 requires all public institutions to develop and implement Service
Delivery Standards aligned with regional and global best practices.
This will ensure that public services are delivered consistently, efficiently and with excellence across all Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Local Authorities.
Through this commitment, Government assures citizens of timely, people-centred and high-quality service delivery befitting an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society.
Guided by the principle of inclusivity and leaving no one and no place behind, NDS2 is the outcome of broad-based national consultations.
It reflects the voices and aspirations of Government institutions, the private sector, civil society, political actors, faith-based organisations, the diaspora and the general public.
True to our national philosophy that “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”, this strategy embodies unity, self-reliance and shared responsibility.
The formulation of NDS2 embraced a Whole-of-Government and Society participatory approach to national planning led by the Office of the President and Cabinet, in liaison with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion.
As Zimbabwe embarks on this developmental lap towards realisation of our Vision 2030, I call upon all stakeholders, inclusive of our cooperating partners, to put all hands on deck and rally behind NDS2 with unity of purpose and unwavering determination.
Together, let us accelerate progress, surpass expectations and realise our cherished Vision 2030, leveraging on our domestic resource endowments, inclusive of our diaspora, innovative and other emerging financing strategies, as well as support from cooperating partners.
It is with great humility and honour that I present to you the National Development Strategy 2 that we will be implementing over 2026-2030.
Let us move forward, hand in hand, building our country brick by brick, stone upon stone towards the Zimbabwe that we all want — a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030.
