The ManicaPost
EVERY year on September 21, Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in observing and celebrating the International Day of Peace — a global commemorative event that seeks to strengthen peace across all nations.
This is a day completely devoted to promoting global solidarity for building a peaceful and sustainable world.
Apart from living in harmony, the day seeks to remind people and nations to think about the importance of universal peace.
This year’s theme was: “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”.
Besides, it must not be forgotten that while strengthening harmony among nations, individual nations must strive to be at peace with its people.
Internal conflict poses a grave threat to national development, making peace absolutely essential to development.
Economies and societies are blocked in their development progress if they are affected by conflict.
Peace is a key component of sustainable development.
A healthy business environment is important for development, and in conflict-ridden communities, business operations are disrupted due to the unreliable social services and the prevalence of social problems such as poverty, hunger and inequality.
As we celebrate this important day on the international calendar, we need to appreciate and applaud the great strides being made by the Second Republic to create a conducive businesses environment, eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development as espoused in Vision 2030, and National Development Strategy (NDS1), which seek to grow the country into a upper middle-income economy by 2030.
The pursuit of this transformative and inclusive development vision is delivering broad based transformation, new wealth creation and expanding horizons of economic opportunities for all in Zimbabwe.
No one is left behind.
As a nation, we are making huge strides in rehabilitating and upgrading infrastructure, stabilising the currency and economy, luring Foreign Direct Investments, engaging and re-engaging, while the devolution and decentralisation thrust has boosted development and transformation of the country’s 10 provinces.
The economy is finally breathing after being moribund for decades.
Infrastructure is being modernised after decades of vandalism and depreciation.
Strategic grain reserves are running over after the Second Republic took deliberate policies to support agricultural production and productivity, markets and infrastructure.
Dams which were neglected at planning and implementation stages are either work in progress or have been completed, with the projects designed in a participatory and inclusive manner that gives local communities a voice in shaping their own development.
Investing in food security and agriculture and rural development help reduce the risk of conflict, especially when investments are community-led and owned.
These achievements must be read in the context of the country’s determination to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is not possible to build a peaceful world without taking steps to achieve social and economic development for all people.
By pursuing these goals, Zimbabwe by all intents, is addressing the challenges such as poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, environment, and social justice.
Peace is the greatest weapon for development that Zimbabwe has.
Without peace, there is no development, and without development there is no peace.
These key political and policy decisions about sustainable development lead to peaceful co-existence.
Development makes an important contribution to prevent conflicts and for building lasting peace.
No nation can eradicate poverty, ensure health and well-being, environmental protection, or creating sustainable communities, in contexts where violence and injustice are rife.
We salute the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa for ensuring peaceful co-existence in Zimbabwe.
Without peace, all other goals — from focusing on youth and women’s needs, to addressing climate change and water, energy and food security — will be impossible to achieve.
We are all aware of what is happening in Mozambique, and the obstacles to development posed by conflict and fragility.
Conflict guts economies, wrecks societies and breaks social bonds.
We applaud the Government for embedding the principles of peace, reconciliation and social cohesion as constitutional values and development imperatives.
Making national unity, peace, social cohesion and reconciliation the bedrock for sustainable social and economic development, will certainly make Zimbabwe prosperous.
