President’s anti‑corruption stance must shape a cleaner Zimbabwe

IN his goodness-trending speeches, our President, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, often likens his Government to a well tended food crop farm on which weeds must never be allowed to grow with reckless abandon. In layman’s terms, this means corruption — like weeds in a crop field — should never be permitted to overwhelm human effort or to flourish at the expense of citizens who deserve to benefit from their government’s social and economic development programmes.

A local radio station recently quoted our President as saying in a speech that his Government was “healthy”, a suggestion that it keeps corruption — the metaphorical weeds — firmly in check so that the masses are not deprived of the good that their legitimate government is working to provide.

It is, indeed, common knowledge that our President brooks no corruption within his administration — a stance private sector leaders should also embrace if our motherland is to become an investment magnet. Only then will business-minded players abroad form investment beelines to Zimbabwe, reinforcing a win-win scenario that strengthens economic growth and a bold new future for the nation across political, economic and social spheres.

It is already clear that Zimbabwe’s farming, manufacturing and mining outputs have gained favour with foreign investors, some of whom have channelled — and will no doubt continue to channel — funds into the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, especially with inflation now said to be in its single digit range of 4,1 percent.

That said, much more still needs to be done locally to reduce environmental damage, particularly from factory and coal mine chimneys releasing carbon gases into the atmosphere. These combine with emissions from veld fires — often started during hunting activities — creating greenhouse effects that erode the ozone layer. The result is recurrent drought, the destruction of food crops and increased national reliance on food imports that drain scarce foreign currency.

Authorities must also take firm action against those who indiscriminately cut down trees to enlarge crop fields or sell firewood in urban areas. Such acts strip the country of trees that are essential to environmental protection, absorbing and neutralising the carbon gases produced through the reckless behaviours mentioned in this discourse.

Blaming God for droughts or destructive floods — including those that have struck the eastern parts of our country — is nonsensical, for our Creator provides good for us, His people, as well as for wildlife.

Education remains the best teacher, and schools must incorporate these environmental shortcomings into their academic curricula so that future generations understand the urgency of protecting the land. Only through knowledge, responsibility and shared commitment can we ensure that our motherland becomes a better place for all who call it home.