Online Reporter
Sunday Mail Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS are happy with President Mnangagwa’s stewardship of the economy and optimistic about the future, according to the African union mission that concluded its tour of duty last week.
This follows a two-week-long African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) targeted review field mission.
The team, led by Ambassador Aly El-Hefny of Egypt, was in Zimbabwe to assess progress in economic governance and how ongoing national reforms align with Vision 2030.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Amb El-Hefny said Zimbabweans were “engaged, frank and overwhelmingly positive”, noting a strong sense of optimism about the future.
“But let me tell you something we have all observed as members of this mission, that there is a great account of consentient (agreement) and that the people are happy,” he said.
Since the inception of the Second Republic, they have sensed that there is a difference, and that there will even be a bigger difference going forward, and it will have a wonderful impact on the standard of living of Zimbabweans.
“They appreciate very much the clear vision of His Excellency, the President, and they appreciate also the devolution agenda, because it provides them with the opportunity to be active players, principled players in building up of the economy of the country.
“We have interacted with everybody that you can imagine — traditional leaders, religious leaders, women, the youth, the private sector, small and medium enterprises, the chamber of commerce.”
Zimbabweans, he said, attributed the improved outlook to tangible development across provinces, including road rehabilitation, new industries, empowerment initiatives and the establishment of innovation hubs at universities.
“The case of Zimbabwe is unique,” said Amb El-Hefny. It’s not to be compared to the cases of other countries. I myself, I have been to four other countries; this is my fifth country. But here in Zimbabwe, we are dealing with a case of a country that has been subjected, and is still subjected, to international sanctions. So, everybody wants to know, how are you doing nowadays with those sanctions? And how did you succeed? What is the whole philosophy behind the success; your success in advancing the cause of development in the country in spite of those sanctions?”
The APRM is a voluntary governance assessment tool of the African Union (AU), established in 2002 to promote peer learning, transparency, accountability and improved governance across the continent.
Member states submit themselves to periodic reviews, where independent experts evaluate governance performance, identify gaps, share best practices and recommend reforms.
The mechanism assesses governance across government institutions, the private sector, civil society, the academia and community structures. Its findings are submitted to a summit of Heads of State for peer discussion, with the objective of helping countries strengthen governance and accelerate development.
Zimbabwe joined the APRM in 2020.
The recent visit was the country’s third review mission, focusing specifically on economic governance and management.
During the mission, the AU delegation held extensive consultations with traditional leaders, churches, the youth, women’s groups, business, the academia, the Reserve Bank, civil society and Government ministries across all the 10 provinces.
Amb El-Hefny said the broad participation demonstrated Zimbabwe’s commitment to transparency.
“The Government subjected itself in full transparency to that exercise, because it knows that it is in the interest of Zimbabwe and in the interest of the Zimbabwean people,” he said.
The team will now compile its findings into a report that will be shared with the Government before being submitted to President Mnangagwa, the APRM summit in Addis Ababa next February, and eventually the AU Assembly.
Amb El-Hefny said the country’s progress despite sanctions, historical challenges and global economic pressures has become a point of interest for policymakers and researchers across Africa. “Zimbabweans have every right to feel proud,” he said.
