Online Reporter
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will today present his State of the Nation Address and officially open the Third Session of the 10th Parliament, where he is expected to make pronouncements that solidify the country’s economic growth trajectory as envisaged in the soon-to-be-launched National Development Strategy 2.
The President delivers the SONA and officially opens Parliamentary sessions in joint sittings of the National Assembly and Senate as required by section 140 (1) and section 140 (4) of the Constitution.
He will also set the legislative agenda for the Third Session of the 10th Parliament in his official opening remarks.
President Mnangagwa will address the nation from the New Parliament building in Mount Hampden.
Political analyst, Mr Dereck Goto, said he expected the President to set the tone forward based on the success of NDS1.
“Going into NDS2, I expect President Mnangagwa to set a confident, execution-first agenda that builds on the concrete gains of NDS1 and keeps us on course for Vision 2030.
“NDS1 stabilised key levers of the economy, expanded energy supply, accelerated trunk road rehabilitation, modernised Beitbridge Border Post, strengthened food security through wheat self-sufficiency and catalysed value-addition in mining and steel.
“The lesson is clear: where the State provides enabling infrastructure and policy certainty, private capital follows and jobs are created,” he said.
Another political analyst, Mr Goodwine Mureriwa, said he expects the President to speak on various developments in various economic sectors that include agriculture, tourism and mining.
“With the coming of the rains and an expected good agricultural season, I expect the President, as a serious farmer himself, to rally the nation into working the land to boost the nation’s food security and drive the economy forward.
“His speech should also touch on activities in other sectors of the economy that include tourism, which has seen phenomenal growth with the country being voted the best country to visit in 2025 by Forbes magazine, and the mining sector, especially on beneficiation,” Mr Mureriwa said.
On the international front, he said he hoped to see President Mnangagwa continuing with his thrust of making Zimbabwe a friend to all and an enemy to none.
South Africa-based economic analyst, Mr Chris Mutizwa, echoed similar sentiments, saying the SONA should consolidate macro-economic stability.
“The SONA should therefore consolidate macro-economic stability, deepen devolution and crowd in more investment into productive sectors.
“I expect the President to highlight the country’s achievements, that include currency and price stability anchored by disciplined fiscal management, export growth, and the continued maturation of the ZiG architecture,” Mr Mutizwa said.
He added that the country’s philosophy remains people-first, productivity-led and sovereignty-affirming.
“NDS1 proved that steady, hands-on leadership works. NDS2 must convert that momentum into faster growth, better services and dignified jobs in every province so that Vision 2030 is not just a slogan, but a lived reality for Zimbabweans,” Mr Mutizwa said.
Government Chief Whip Cde Pupurai Togarepi said during the Second Session of the 10th Parliament, about 15 Bills were announced and these are in addition to the 10 carried over from the previous session.
“The reduced number of Bills gives an indication that there could be real challenges in the Executive insofar as drafting Bills is concerned. Government has to prioritise those who are important at this point in time. To date, there are about nine Bills that have been passed, which is a great improvement when compared to previous sessions.
“Whilst we are mindful of the challenges in the Attorney General’s Office regarding shortages of drafters, as Parliament, we were not happy with the rate at which Bills were coming to Parliament. Since the First Session, we have consistently been engaging the Executive on the rate at which Bills were coming.
“I am pleased to announce that beginning this year, we have witnessed a great improvement. Presently, 15 Bills are at various stages before Parliament. We hope we will be able to dispose of these and some more coming before we get to the end of the year,” said Cde Togarepi.
CCC National Assembly Chief Whip, Mr Charles Moyo, said legislators would work harder in the coming session.
“It is that critical moment again that President Mnangagwa sets the legislative agenda for the year ahead. In the last SONA, he proposed 25 Bills and Parliament improved greatly from the First Session, with some Bills at report compilation stage after successful public hearings, for example, the Climate Change Bill and Tourism Bill, to name a few.
“This Third Session, believe you me, citizens will witness an upward trend in how we are going to legislate, represent them and do our oversight role. I encourage our citizens to attend in numbers all the public hearings that we will conduct and say what they want,” he said.
Mr Moyo said all MPs, including CCC members, were eagerly waiting to hear the President addressing them and the nation at large.
