Vision 2030: Let’s not drop the ball

Victoria Ruzvidzo
Editor’s Brief

SIX months into the year.

So much has been accomplished, and yet so much is still to be achieved as we walk towards Vision 2030.

Already, naysayers believe the vision will not be achieved.

They mumble about this or that, but I wonder what gives them so much confidence in the negative. We still have five good years. Well, four-and-a-half years, to be precise, to achieve an upper middle-income economy.

This should give us enough time to correct, realign, or even restart on some aspects.

Whatever needs to be sorted can still be.

Also, we take comfort in the fact that this country is not going to be closed down come 2030, so there is still so much room and energy to achieve what we set our minds to, even beyond the set date.

You see, the challenges with some Zimbabweans are their penchant to see doom and gloom all around them.

They are so blind to the opportunities and possibilities that are around us in all sectors of the economy.

Yet, in spite of all this, some become so passionate and come very much alive if they start talking about what could go wrong and why we will not achieve our desired goals and aspirations come 2030.

Some even go hysterical about our challenges; they do not give success a chance. What drives them?

It remains a wonder how people can display and express so much disdain towards their own country.

But that’s a whole subject for another day. We may need to engage psychologists and the whole lot to help explain such phenomena.

For now, it is critical that we keep our eyes on the ball.

Vision 2030 has been well spelt out. The Transitional Stabilisation Programme, National Development Strategy 1, and the impending NDS2 have all been crafted to give impetus to the achievement of Vision 2030.

At this juncture, what is critical is that we take stock of what has been achieved to date.

It is now common knowledge that many of the targets and objectives set under NDS1 have been surpassed and that NDS2 is set for launch at the end of this year.

Immense work has already been put into it. Workshops and seminars have been held with regards to it. Much ground has been gained to date.

So what is critical at this moment in time is to take stock of all that has happened, or is transpiring today in the economy.

Have the 14 pillars under NDS1 registered success? How do we consolidate the positive outcomes?

Which areas have fallen short of expectations? Why? How do we remedy the situation?

These are conversations we should be having as Government, the private sector, and all stakeholders.

We need to be brutal in our assessments. Where we have fallen short, there is a need for frankness as we chart the way forward. Nothing should be allowed to stand in the way of progress.

Conversely, where results are impressive, we should pat each other on the back and see how best to consolidate that position.

Vision 2030 is within reach. All we need to do is ensure that we have all hands on deck.

We all sing from the same hymn book, each one singing their right chords: soprano, tenor, bass and alto to come out with a beautiful and coherent tune called Vision 2030.

We used to have such visions as Vision 2020. Africa has Agenda 2063. These cannot dim into insignificance. They need to be fuelled by passion, sacrifice and great determination. Failure should never be an option.

The year has reached the halfway mark. It is time to introspect and set the path for the remainder of the year.

Once we tick off some boxes and mark others in red, it becomes easier to strategise, going forward.

Government does that religiously via Cabinet meetings every week, and we believe the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking, and all such bodies need to do their bit and sit together with Government to chart the way forward.

We do not even need international consultants to lead these discussions. We already have the wherewithal to do it ourselves.

Of course, we can borrow from international best practices and experience, but we are able to lead these processes ourselves.

Zimbabweans have the brains to take Vision 2030 forward.

If local expertise could construct the beauty called the Trabablas Interchange with all its complex engineering, then there is nothing we cannot achieve if we set our minds to it.

Let’s not drop the ball. Let’s be re-energised to go for it.

Let’s not score cheap points by sabotaging such a grand vision capable of transforming our lives for good.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and similar multilateral bodies have commended Zimbabwe for the progress made so far, adding that they see a bright future for us.

This should give us the energy to drive the economy towards an upper middle-income status even before 2030.

It can be done, it should be done, and it will be done!

In God I trust!

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