Online Reporter
MacDenias Moyo
When President Mnangagwa officiated the recent Performance Contract Signing and Awards Ceremony (2026), he did not merely preside over a bureaucratic ritual.
He reaffirmed a new culture in Government, one that demands measurable results, rewards excellence and punishes inertia.
“We cannot afford complacency. Every ministry, every permanent secretary, every chief executive must deliver on set targets. The people of Zimbabwe deserve nothing less,” he declared, setting the tone for a Second Republic defined by discipline, productivity and progress.
This insistence on accountability is not cosmetic. It is structural. It is the tightening of the ship of state, ensuring that every ministry, every parastatal every provincial office becomes an engine of delivery.
Zimbabwe’s trajectory from the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) through NDS1 and now NDS2 has been deliberate. TSP restored fiscal discipline and institutional order. NDS1 consolidated food security and industrial revival. NDS2 now accelerates the march towards Vision 2030, an upper middle‑income economy.
Key Performance Indicators are the compass. They measure tonnes of maize harvested, kilometres of road completed, inflation rates stabilised, internet penetration expanded, hospital bed capacity increased and youth employment rising.
These are not abstract ideals. They are tangible measures of progress.
The world has taken notice. The World Bank projects Zimbabwe’s GDP growth at 6.6 percent in 2025, driven by agriculture, iron and steel and services, outpacing many Sub‑Saharan peers.
The IMF, in its 2024 Article IV consultation, acknowledged Zimbabwe’s reforms in fiscal policy and currency management, noting improved macroeconomic stability. The World Bank Global Economic Prospects report places Zimbabwe’s growth forecast at 6.2 percent in 2025 and 4.8 percent in 2026, surpassing regional averages. The United Nations and the African Union have highlighted Zimbabwe’s progress in food security, infrastructure and digitalisation as aligning with continental development goals. Even Forbes Africa has profiled Zimbabwe’s tourism revival and industrial re‑emergence as signs of resilience.
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development under Minister Anxious Masuka has transformed smallholder productivity through Pfumvudza Intwasa, while mechanisation and irrigation rehabilitation have boosted commercial yields. Grain reserves are stabilising and horticultural exports are rising. Agriculture is no longer a subsistence fallback. It is a driver of national wealth.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development led by Minister Felix Mhona has overseen the rehabilitation of trunk roads, airports and railways. The Harare–Beitbridge highway, once a symbol of neglect, now stands as proof of delivery.
The Ministry of Finance under Minister Mthuli Ncube has steered fiscal consolidation and currency reforms. Inflation has been tamed compared to the hyperinflationary past and budget discipline is entrenched. The dual currency framework of USD and ZWL (ZiG) has stabilised transactions while the push for local currency resilience continues.
The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has repositioned Zimbabwe as a prime destination. Victoria Falls has been marketed as a regional hub, while domestic tourism has been incentivised. Minister Barbara Rwodzi was recognised as the top‑performing minister in 2025, with Zimbabwe winning two international tourism awards and positioning tourism as the third‑largest foreign currency earner.
The Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Development is harnessing demographic power, supporting start‑ups, creating employment and celebrating sporting achievements. The Ministry of Health and Child Care has expanded hospital infrastructure, procured modern equipment and improved drug availability. Covid‑19 tested resilience, but the system emerged stronger.
The Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services has driven digitalisation, expanding broadband coverage and e‑government platforms. Zimbabwe is embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has overseen the revival of manufacturing, supported by import substitution and industrial parks. Zimbabwe is re‑industrialising, moving from raw material exporter to value‑added producer.
The Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution have become engines of localised development. Competition among them has spurred delivery. Minister Owen Ncube previously set the bar high, while Minister Ezra Chadzamira has now clinched the honour of best overall Provincial Minister. This healthy rivalry has ensured that provinces are not passive recipients but active drivers of Vision 2030.
Public service is no longer a sinecure. It is a vocation of performance. President Mnangagwa has tightened his ship by demanding contracts, measuring outputs and rewarding excellence. Ministries are interconnected engines of national progress. The awards ceremony itself is symbolic. It is not enough to occupy office. One must deliver.
Certain ministers have distinguished themselves. Agriculture under Masuka, Transport under Mhona, Finance under Ncube, Tourism under Rwodzi and Provincial Affairs under Chadzamira, Mugadza and Ncube have become benchmarks of delivery. Their success is the result of KPIs rigorously applied and monitored. Excellence is contagious. Competition among ministries has elevated the entire government’s work ethic.
President Mnangagwa inherited a nation battered by economic collapse and infrastructural decay. Through TSP, NDS1 and now NDS2, he has steered Zimbabwe out of dire straits. His insistence on performance contracts is structural. By emanding accountability he has redefined governance. By rewarding excellence he has inspired delivery. By tightening the ship he has ensured that Vision 2030 is not a distant dream but an approaching reality.
At ZANU PF seminars he has reminded party leadership, “Our people must see tangible results in their daily lives. We are building a Zimbabwe that works, a Zimbabwe that delivers, a Zimbabwe that prospers.” He has warned against complacency, urging ministers and party cadres alike to embrace competition and innovation.
Across ministries, policies are yielding tangible results. Agriculture promises food security and exports. Transport promises connectivity. Finance promises stability. Tourism promises foreign currency. Youth policies promise innovation. Health promises resilience. ICT promises digital transformation. Industry promises jobs. Devolution promises inclusivity. Each ministry is a pillar and together they form the edifice of Vision 2030.
President Mnangagwa’s performance contract revolution is more than administrative reform. It is a political statement of intent. It signals that Zimbabwe will not drift.
It will march. It signals that ministers will not be idle but they will deliver. It signals that Vision 2030 is not aspirational. It is achievable.
“We are building a Zimbabwe that works, a Zimbabwe that delivers, a Zimbabwe that prospers,” the President declared. The ship has been tightened, the course set and the destination clear. Vision 2030 is no longer a horizon. It is a destination within reach.
