Zim told to ride on its population for growth

Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau

ZIMBABWE should use its ballooning population for economic and development growth like what other nations are doing, Deputy Minister of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has said.

Speaking over the weekend at Matau Primary School in Hurungwe district, Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Jennifer Mhlanga said most developed countries were riding on their huge populations for development.

She was speaking at a Green Show event organised by the area legislator and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka to celebrate a bumper harvest and successes of Government’s agriculture turnaround strategies including the climate-proofed Pfumvudza agriculture scheme.

“Family planning methods were not introduced to slow down population growth but rather to promote deliveries that ensure mothers remain healthy and work for their families and the entire nation.

“The Family Planning Council of Zimbabwe and development partners should make sure that the nation is informed about the benefits of birth control methods. As a nation, we should ride on our population for economic growth and development as South Africa, Nigeria and China are doing,” she said.

Nigeria and South Africa are some of the countries in Africa with huge populations while China is the world’s most populated nation with over a billion citizens and have remained food secure despite ballooning populations.