Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino in Uppsala, Sweden
ZIMBABWE is running a marathon—a race of endurance. It is not a race whereby one needs to sprint. This marathon is centred on the nation’s 2030 goals.
The mood set out in the national policy blueprints rolled out by the Government embodies the preparedness the country is making to finish the little more than five years remaining to meet significant goals.
At the moment, Zimbabwe’s agenda to achieve upper middle-income economy status under Vision 2030 is set to be the country’s longest policy blueprint since attaining independence in 1980.
Since 1980, Zimbabwe has developed a number of policy blueprints to achieve national objectives in varied ways.
During the first 10 years, the Government sought to address inequality through the redistribution of social development initiatives from the Growth with Equity (GWE) policy of 1981 and the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) 1982-1985.
This was later complemented by the First Five-Year National Development Plan (1985-1990), which placed emphasis on social progress.
Attempts to address fiscal pressures and balance liberalisation with social welfare witnessed the implementation of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (1991-1995) and the Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST) from 1996-2000, respectively.
A post-mortem of other blueprints like Vision 2020, the Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (STERP) during the Government of National Unity (GNU) from 2009 to 2013, and the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimASSET) shows that, though useful, they were meant to address immediate national needs.
They did address the State’s needs; however, political orientations took centre stage over economic priorities.
This negatively impacted the nation’s brand, identity, and social engineering as the masses thought more in political terms than placing emphasis on the broader goals that encompassed the strategic social, political, and economic core interests of the State.
It is good to have political orientations or ideological convictions; however, they are not the sole basis for national economic transformation—other factors must also be considered.
At an international level, the consequences of giving priority to politics were felt across the nation as global interconnections were lost, investments abandoned and the economy slumped.
Nationally, political priorities led to reactionary agitations by political elements that sought to capitalise on the politics of polarisation, turning a blind eye to peaceful co-existence, unity and social cohesion.
Since the inception of the Second Republic in November 2017, the playbook and script characterising the implementation of national policy priorities have been rewritten.
Milestone achievements have been witnessed since then, with the “Friend to all and enemy of none” policy framing that Zimbabwe has moved beyond Cold War mentalities that classify nations as either Communist or Liberal.
Vision 2030’s significance is understood within the context of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) of 2018-2020, the National Development Strategy (NDS1) of 2021-2025, and NDS2 from 2026-2030.
What Zimbabwe is now focusing on under President Mnangagwa, from the “friend to all and enemy of none” standpoint, is that it neither looks West nor East, but looks ahead.
By looking ahead, Zimbabwe has managed to re-establish non-confrontational and cooperative diplomatic efforts with the USA, Britain, and the European Union, while entrenching engagements with traditional allies like China, South Africa, and Russia.
Animosity has not been a characteristic feature of Zimbabwe post-2017. This can be attributed to the new overtures in the US, where debates to end sanctions against Zimbabwe are occurring nearly 25 years later, and the removal of the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) from the EU’s sanctions list.
At the same time, Zimbabwe has also pivoted towards the Middle East (or Western Asia), establishing relations with Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to engage other countries in its development orbit.
Other major countries it has increased cooperation with include India, Cuba, Egypt, Algeria, and Indonesia.
This has opened new investment opportunities in critical sectors like mining, telecommunications, and agriculture, among others, as the country remains “Open for Business.”
Nationally, the Government has emphasised aligning national development priorities within the realm and framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
National development should not be separated from global arrangements or targets, as this reflects the country’s commitment to upholding the spirit of co-existence in international law and conventions.
Elements of women’s empowerment, gender equality, affordable clean energy, food security, housing, and addressing poverty remain at the top of the Government’s priorities.
The idea is, therefore, to ensure that if the targets set locally are met, the achievements will be translated into the pockets of the people.
It is thus harmful for anyone to wish for Zimbabwe, the Government and its national leadership to fail, for their failure means national failure.
It is crucial to ensure that this Vision 2030 marathon, which Zimbabwe has embarked on—not to achieve short-term objectives like a sprint—must not be disrupted in any form.
The Second Republic has managed to clear the hurdles that many nationals hoped for and therefore attempts and thoughts to disrupt Vision 2030 should not be regarded as a misplacement of the nation’s goals.
The important aspect of this agenda is that it comprehensively aligns with Zimbabwe’s core interests, foreign policy objectives and frameworks, economic aspirations and social programmes to the benefit of the people.
More so, Vision 2030 summarises that the Government is “leaving no one and no place behind.”
The Government is doing so to ensure that citizens exploit the opportunities being availed to them.
Challenges may be encountered; however, they will be overcome since Vision 2030 — a race to Zimbabwe’s recovery — remains one for those who can endure, not for the swift and short-sighted.
