Online Reporter
Kudakwashe Mugari in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
ZIMBABWE has been positively rated in economic governance and management by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), a development that underscores the Second Republic’s reform agenda and growing re-engagement thrust within the continent and beyond.
Speaking on the sidelines of the African union (AU) Summit that was held in Ethiopia recently, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the positive rating followed an APRM targeted review on economic governance and management conducted in November last year.
A member of the APR Panel of Eminent Persons, Ambassador Aly El-Hefny led the AU APRM delegation to Zimbabwe, where they undertook a targeted review on economic governance and management over a period of two weeks.
The targeted review team toured and engaged with citizens, focusing on various sectors of the economy across the country’s 10 provinces.
The APRM team also visited the country’s high-impact infrastructural development projects during its visit.
Prof Murwira said the voluntary assessment was in line with Zimbabwe’s constitutional mandate to integrate into Africa.
“Zimbabwe’s objective is to integrate into Africa, and even to integrate into Africa is the dictate of Section 12, sub-section 2 of our Constitution, that we have to be pan-African and that we have to politically, socially and economically integrate into Africa.
“His Excellency’s visit to Ethiopia, to the summit, was basically to achieve those constitutional objectives.”
Prof Murwira said as part of the integration and engagement agenda, President Mnangagwa was able to receive and respond to the APRM review report on Zimbabwe, which focused on economic governance.
“Again, as part of the integration agenda, His Excellency was able to receive a review report on Zimbabwe on economic governance and it actually rated Zimbabwe as excellent and His Excellency was able to respond to that.
“As you remember, in the Second Republic, His Excellency started focussing on the issue of economic growth, as well as devolved growth, involving everybody, but with “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” as our main doctrine, so that we begin to build all our infrastructure, we boost our agriculture and be able to do so many things that we have been able to do in the Second Republic.
“This was independently evaluated by the Africa Peer Review Mechanism of the African union and that agent rated Zimbabwe very well. The report was presented, His Excellency responded and we are expecting the launch of that APRM report on Zimbabwe very soon, at a timetable that is determined by His Excellency President Dr ED Mnangagwa in conjunction with the African Union.”
Prof Murwira added that the just-ended AU Summit, whose theme centred on water and its strategic importance, dovetailed with Zimbabwe’s developmental priorities.
“So, this summit’s theme was on water, because water is important for industrialisation, it’s important for life generally, it’s important for agriculture, it’s important for all forms of economic activity, therefore it was adopted as a theme this year,” he said.
“So, this summit went on very well, and as I said, it’s in response to the dictates of the Constitution, Section 12, subsection 2, which makes it imperative that we are pan-African and we integrate into Africa politically, economically and socially.”
In his presentation at the APRM session held on the sidelines of the AU Summit, President Mnangagwa indicated that Zimbabwe was ready to embrace the findings and recommendations of the APRM report.
President Mnangagwa said the country remains steadfast in abiding by the principles and objectives of the APRM framework, which embodies African solidarity, peer learning and mutual accountability.
He expressed his honour to be part of the APRM, which he said is of significant importance to the Government and the people of Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa added that the Second Republic has made notable strides in all sectors of the economy since he acceded to the APRM, which is a self-assessment mechanism.
“Since the advent of my administration and Zimbabwe’s subsequent accession to the APRM, notable strides are evident throughout all sectors. The multiplicity of reforms we are undertaking are enhancing economic governance, fiscal discipline and public sector accountability. This is also in line with Section 13 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” he said.
President Mnangagwa acceded to the voluntary self-monitoring framework of the AU in 2020.
Since then, Zimbabwe has demonstrated its commitment to transparency, accountability and sustainable development.
In March 2024, the Cabinet approved the establishment of the National Institutional Framework for the Zimbabwe APRM, with a focus on economic governance and management.
Last year in November, Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Committee of Heads of State and Government participating in the APRM, paving the way for an assessment mission by the review team.
The MoU was signed by Prof Murwira, and APRM Eminent Person and Panel Lead member for Zimbabwe, Ambassador El-Hefny.
After signing the MoU, Prof Murwira handed Ambassador El-Hefny Zimbabwe’s self-assessment report compiled by a technical team from the University of Zimbabwe.
Through the review, the country sought to strengthen institutional frameworks, enhance accountability and align national development strategies with continental and global governance standards.
Zimbabwe was also looking forward to fostering transparency, citizen participation and sustainable socio-economic growth.
