Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve-Victoria Falls Bureau
AS Zimbabwe transitions towards upper-middle-income status by 2030, Acting President Kembo Mohadi has emphasised the need to ensure economic growth ultimately translates into improved livelihoods and greater opportunities for the nation.
Addressing delegates at the inaugural Zimbabwe Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) Global Summit on Inclusive Growth, Decent Work, Beneficiation and Investment Promotion in Victoria Falls yesterday, Acting President Mohadi reiterated Government’s commitment to strengthening pathways to formalisation, productivity and decent work.
He also pledged the creation of an enabling environment for enterprises to grow and generate sustainable employment.
“At the heart of this development agenda is decent work. Economic growth must ultimately translate into improved livelihoods and greater opportunities for our people,” said the Acting President.
“Employment opportunities must, therefore, provide fair remuneration, safe and healthy working conditions, social protection, and respect for workers’ rights. In this regard, the Government remains committed to strengthening pathways to formalisation, productivity, and decent work, and to creating an enabling environment for enterprises to grow and generate sustainable employment.”
He said the world of work is changing, with digitalisation, financial technology and new forms of employment creating both opportunities and challenges.
“We must, therefore, ensure that digital finance reaches underserved communities, that our banking sector meets the needs of small and emerging enterprises, and that new forms of work, including platform and gig work, are developed within an appropriate framework that promotes opportunity, productivity, and worker protection,” said Acting President Mohadi.
He emphasised the importance of social dialogue in fostering trust and stability, noting that institutions such as the Economic and Social Councils and tripartite forums must continue to provide effective platforms for consultation and consensus-building.
“These institutions should contribute to credible governance, sound investment decisions and the development of policies that balance the interests of workers, employers and the broader national interest,” Acting President Mohadi said.
The summit, held under the theme: “Inclusive growth, decent work, beneficiation and investment promotion”, brought together Government, business, labour, civil society, development partners and other stakeholders to discuss how Zimbabwe can strengthen inclusive growth and attract investment that meaningfully contributes to national development.
Acting President Mohadi said Zimbabwe is endowed with vast mineral resources, abundant energy potential, a rich agricultural heritage and a young population with considerable potential to contribute to economic transformation.
“These resources provide a strong foundation for building a productive, inclusive, and prosperous economy. Our efforts must remain firmly anchored in the national development trajectory towards Vision 2030, as articulated in the National Development Strategy 2,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi, however, stressed that resources alone are insufficient to guarantee sustainable development, calling for a move beyond resource extraction towards beneficiation, value addition and the development of productive industries that create employment.
“Our objective must be to create an economy in which investment contributes to industrial development, which further generates productive employment, and productive employment improves our people’s welfare,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of youth participation in economic life, Acting President Mohadi also called for strengthened links between universities, technical and vocational institutions and employers so that education and skills development systems respond effectively to labour market requirements.
“Zimbabwe’s young population is a significant source of innovation, entrepreneurship and productivity, provided we create the necessary opportunities for them to participate meaningfully in economic life,” he said.
The Acting President commended the TNF Innovation Challenge showcased at the summit as a positive demonstration of young people’s potential, saying such initiatives should be supported and strengthened so that innovation moves beyond idea development and contributes directly to enterprise development, productivity and economic growth.
On gender, Acting President Mohadi said women must have greater opportunities to participate in economic activity, describing gender-responsive development as an important component of sound economic policy.
“When women can participate fully in the economy, households, enterprises, and communities are better placed to prosper,” he said.
Turning to climate change, he said discussions on digitalisation, climate action and green jobs were particularly important, calling for a just transition that promotes environmental sustainability, safeguards livelihoods and creates opportunities for decent, productive employment.
“Our approach must, therefore, be a just transition that promotes environmental sustainability, safeguards livelihoods, and creates opportunities for decent, productive employment,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi also spoke on the African Continental Free Trade Area, saying it offers a significant opportunity to strengthen regional integration, expand markets, promote cross-border investment and increase intra-African trade.
“Our participation in SADC, COMESA and the wider African market must increasingly be driven by the production of competitive goods and services, greater value addition and increased investment. Our objective should be to ensure that Africa’s resources contribute to African industries, value chains and employment,” he said.
He called upon international partners to continue supporting Zimbabwe through investment, technical expertise and partnerships that strengthen development efforts, while encouraging the business community to take advantage of opportunities available in the country.
“To our business community, I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities available in Zimbabwe, invest in productive sectors, support value addition and beneficiation, and help create decent, sustainable employment,” he said.
To organised labour, he reaffirmed that their participation in national development and social dialogue remains important, saying their voice and contributions are essential to ensuring that economic growth is accompanied by decent working conditions and improved livelihoods.
“The Zimbabwe we seek to build is one in which economic growth is inclusive, investment is productive, work is decent, young people are empowered, women participate fully in economic life, and the benefits of our natural resources are increasingly translated into shared prosperity,” he said.
“Let us ensure that the opportunities before us translate into investment, investment into production, production into decent employment, and employment into improved livelihoods for our people.”
The summit is expected to produce practical commitments to accelerate Zimbabwe’s economic transformation, with deliberations set to continue over the coming days.
