We may not meet MDGs, says Khupe

Thokozani Khupe said yesterday.
The country had a headstart in the areas identified in the MDGs after government, from independence in 1980, invested in human resource and social services development.

The gains were, however, eroded by the West’s ruinous economic sanctions regime that curtailed Government’s capacity to fund the social services.
The eight MDGs – which range from halving extreme poverty, gender equity, improving maternal health to halting the spread of HIV and Aids and providing universal primary education, all by 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all nations and all the world’s leading development institutions at the Millennium Summit in 2000.

The MDGs have galvanised efforts to improve the livelihoods of the world’s poorest.
DPM Khupe, who is president of the Global Power Women Network Africa, said there was need for African countries to come up with financial plans to fund the MDGs.

She said this when she met Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Lovemore Moyo, who is the Sadc Parliamentary Forum chairperson and Parliament management yesterday.
“It is not going to be possible for us to meet the MDGs because we have so many challenges,” DPM Khupe said.
“There is need for African countries to come up with a financial plan to achieve these MDGs because most countries don’t have resources.

“We need to come up with innovative ways to fund these MDGs and without the financial plan it is not possible that we will meet the target.”
She said Global Power Network Africa had been created to promote and accelerate action for women, girls, gender equality and HIV on the continent.
DPM Khupe said there was need for the Government to start implementing the instruments it had ratified.
She said Government was yet to implement the Abuja Declaration on health funding.

DPM Khupe said executive members of the Global Power Network Africa would be coming to Zimbabwe on Thursday to plan for the women and HIV and Aids conference to be held next year.
Zimbabwe will host the conference.

Mr Moyo said it was necessary for the Global Power Network Africa to engage political parties on the need to empower women.