Second 100-day cycle projects embody President’s vision

Richard Muponde
Zimpapers Politics Hub

AT its last meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet gave an update on the mid-cycle priority projects for the Second 100-Day Cycle of 2025.

The update offered more than just figures, but a vivid picture of an administration working systematically to fulfil President Mnangagwa’s guiding philosophy of “leaving no one and no place behind”.

This people-first approach, championed by the Second Republic, continues to yield tangible developments that impact every corner of Zimbabwe.

The projects are a clear testament to the President’s commitment to decentralised development, underscoring the Government’s intention to urbanise rural spaces, provide decent housing, create employment and ultimately lift citizens to a better standard of living. This is all in line with Vision 2030 and advancing the Devolution agenda.

What distinguishes these initiatives is not merely their scale but their geographic inclusivity. Under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, the Government is ensuring that both traditionally marginalised rural districts and already urbanised cities benefit equally from the national development agenda.

In Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, often considered one of the least developed areas in Mashonaland East, construction of the Mutawatawa waiting mothers’ shelter is nearing completion at 90 percent. In Mwenezi, Masvingo Province, the Nikita Waiting Mothers shelter is 95 percent complete, providing critical maternity support for expectant mothers far from district hospitals.

Such infrastructure goes beyond brick and mortar; it speaks of a Government actively safeguarding maternal health, particularly for rural women. Similarly, the completion of Nyabane Clinic in Bulilima through a collaboration between local Government, community members, the diaspora and religious institutions reinforces this inclusive, multispectral development approach.

The National Housing and Social Amenities Ministry is leading one of the most direct manifestations of President Mnangagwa’s people-first philosophy, the provision of housing.

From Marondera to Beitbridge and from Shurugwi to Bulawayo, residential development is transforming lives. The near-completion of the 4×4-storey blocks of flats in Marondera (97 percent) marks a critical step toward decongesting urban spaces while providing quality housing to citizens.

In Beitbridge, the revival of two blocks of garden flats and duplexes, stalled in previous cycles, is emblematic of a Second Republic that is not abandoning past projects but completing them. It’s a Government of continuity and delivery.

The servicing of thousands of residential stands in Kadoma (5 668), Mahatshula East in Bulawayo (650), and Gweru (432) further demonstrates the Government’s resolve to ensure Zimbabweans can access affordable housing and essential services, regardless of location.

Central to Vision 2030 is Zimbabwe’s push to curb rural-urban migration by bringing development to rural communities. By providing basic services, housing, clinics, training centres, and industrial hubs, the Government is helping to create functional, urbanised rural economies.

A prime example is the Chivi Industrial Training Centre in Masvingo Province, where construction of a second workshop is halfway complete. This facility is not just about education; it is about skills transfer and preparing youth in rural areas for gainful employment within their own communities.

In Matabeleland South, the Gwanda State University Agro Innovation Centre, already 60 percent complete, will anchor agricultural industrialisation in the region, creating value chains and boosting productivity. Similarly, the Bio-Economy Industrial Park in Mutoko, now 50 percent complete of its soap factory shell, reflects a rural community transitioning into a local economic hub.

These projects are aligned with President Mnangagwa’s consistent message that the future of Zimbabwe must be built with Zimbabwean hands, everywhere, not just in the capital or major cities.

Education and innovation remain vital drivers of the Second Republic’s transformation agenda. Multiple tertiary institutions are expanding to accommodate growing student populations and diversify academic offerings.

In Mashonaland Central, the value addition plant in Muzarabani is a stellar example of rural innovation being backed by the Government. At the Midlands State University, the Kwekwe Law School is 75 percent complete, highlighting both academic expansion and legal empowerment in Midlands Province. When completed, this institution will help decentralise legal education, making it more accessible.

Each educational project not only increases access to knowledge but is also a construction job site, an employment opportunity, and a symbol of empowerment. These institutions will drive local economies, reduce rural-to-urban migration, and prepare Zimbabwean youth to compete globally.

President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-class economy. To many, this once seemed a distant ambition, but with each completed clinic, flat, training centre, and serviced residential stand, that vision becomes more realistic and achievable.

These developments are not occurring in isolation. They are part of a broader strategy to lay the infrastructure and institutional foundation of a modern state. A decent home, access to education, local industry, and healthcare are some of the pillars of any functional middle-income society.

And crucially, the delivery of these services is not being left to chance. The Second Republic has adopted measurable 100-day cycles, instilling a culture of accountability and results within Government ministries. Citizens are now part of a transparent development process where progress can be tracked and questioned.

President Mnangagwa has repeatedly stated that the Government is there to serve the people. His administration’s ability to deliver on citizen welfare, especially in health, education, and housing, bears testimony to that.

In both urban and rural settings, the Government’s interventions have gone beyond infrastructure. Waiting Mothers’ Shelters ensure safe childbirth. Clinics save lives. University expansions increase youth opportunity. Housing and sanitation projects promote dignity.

The fact that many of these projects involve partnerships with the diaspora, local councils, the private sector, and religious groups also reveals a Government working with its people, not above them.

The projects reported in the latest Cabinet meeting are not mere outputs of bureaucracy; they are milestones in a citizen-focused journey to uplift Zimbabwe.

From Mutoko to Muzarabani, from Marondera to Mwenezi, development is being delivered.