The ManicaPost
AS we traverse into the year 2022, it is time to set goals that will turn into a reality as the year progresses.
Many will be glad to see the back of 2021as they look forward to a better 2022.
The past year has been challenging as many struggled to cope with the repeated lockdowns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the economy on a recovery trajectory hinged on bumper agricultural production, improved capacity utilisation in industry and stabilisation of prices and exchange rates, things are surely looking up.
This should be a year of progression in economic growth potential.
Despite the latest arrival of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, the nation remains positive about the New Year.
We expect a better year and everything is set for just that.
The progress of the Covid-19 vaccination programmes also gives us hope that things will improve and that we will beat this virus.
We anticipate that more people will be vaccinated as Government is doing all it can to avail the jabs free of charge.
The nation is indeed on course to attain herd immunity through the immunisation of at least 10 million citizens.
Omicron is highly transmissible, although those who become infected so far appear to be suffering mainly mild symptoms.
As we battle Covid-19, national by-elections have been put on hold for quite some time now.
There are 28 National Assembly and 105 local authority vacancies across the country, mostly occasioned by recalls by the MDC-T.
When the time to hold those by-elections come during the course of his year, we will need to prove our detractors wrong by embracing each other as brothers and sisters and holding those elections peacefully.
We should transform out electoral campaign platforms into a market place for ideas, not transmission of fear into opponents.
We implore political parties to help build peace and not fuel antagonism and political violence.
Zimbabweans should remember that conducting elections in a calm environment will deepen our democracy and economic prosperity.
“As you may be aware, by-elections will be conducted in 2022. These will also serve as a reminder to all that elections are the only route that people can take to elect representatives of their choice. You should, therefore, vote peacefully, and I urge candidates to conduct themselves in an honourable manner that deepens the maturity of our democracy,” President Mnangagwa is on record saying.
Political parties can play a central role in ensuring a peaceful election.
It must be the duty of everyone to shun electoral violence.
Violence is detrimental to economic development and peace is a pre-requisite for development as it creates an enabling environment for economic opportunities to flourish.
Without peace there is no development, and without development there is no peace.
It is essential to providing basic infrastructure and social cohesion at all levels.
Development initiatives aim to ensure that basic needs are availed to the citizenry.
In the absence of peace, education and health structures break down, systems to provide infrastructure disintegrate, and industry and commerce is crippled.
Indeed, a house divided cannot stand tall.
