The ManicaPost
Moffat Mungazi
Post Reporter
EVER since President Mnangagwa came into office in 2017, he has been forwarding looking and setting his best foot forward.
That clarity of thought, vision, purposefulness and resourcefulness has seen him steadily steer the country ahead.
Throw into the mix his tireless, determination and hands-on approach and we have a recipe for success.
In 2018, President Mnangagwa’s administration set out on a journey to achieve the national aspirations spelt out in Vision 2030.
The journey towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle income society by 2030 took off through implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) from 2018 to 2020.
It was succeeded in 2021 by the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 which will run up to 2025.
The five-year medium term plan is anchored on 14 national priority areas and key pillars, among which include economic growth and stability, food and nutrition security, health and well-being, housing delivery, devolution, infrastructure and utilities as well as social protection.
Setting himself up to deliver, the President has walked the talk and hit the ground running.
What has eminently stood out about him is that the President practises what he preaches and his servant leadership has seen him leading from the front and setting both example and precedence.
The Second Republic is spearheading various game-changing socio-economic programmes and projects aimed at spurring national economy’s growth.
Under his astute leadership, Zimbabwe is set to restore its status as the bread basket of Africa.
The year 2020 was particularly hectic for the President as he put his shoulder to the wheel to turn his word into deed.
Manicaland Province has been part of this narrative.
In August last year, President Mnangagwa commissioned Verify Engineering’s solar, medical oxygen and nitrogen plants at Feruka in Mutare to ensure that the province’s contribution to national development was felt in the national economy matrix.
The company has the capacity to produce 20 tonnes, 16,5 tonnes and 2,5 tonnes of gaseous oxygen, liquid oxygen and nitrogen respectively per day, which is enough for national self-sufficiency and extra for exports.
This was a major milestone scored, not only for Manicaland, but the entire country as these products are essential for medical and industrial use.
Barely five months down the line, the NDS1-anchored initiative started bearing fruit.
A thousand cylinders of medical oxygen were handed over to President Mnangagwa early this year for distribution to health institutions of his choice.
The donation came in handy as medical oxygen is critical for patients receiving intensive care in health facilities.
The supplies also bolstered the fight against Covid-19 as they came at a time when the country was stepping up efforts to combat the pandemic.
In line with the mantra of leaving no person and no place behind under the tenets of devolution, Manicaland has moved in tandem with the rest of the country.
By December last year, more than 120 projects had been concluded while several others were at various stages of completion as local authorities in Manicaland utilised the $220 million devolution funds disbursed by Government.
The projects include roads, schools, clinics, plant equipment as well as water and sanitation facilities to improve people’s standard of living.
Most of the programmes have had great impact in the communities as the public was consulted on which ones to prioritise in the province’s respective districts.
The devolution agenda will absolutely fuel the country’s development.
With the roads in bad shape and declared a state of national disaster, the Emergency Roads Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) — which is now in its second phase — kicked in to rehabilitate the dilapidated roads.
To that effect, all major roads in Manicaland have taken shape as Government moves to modernise the infrastructure.
This will ultimately ensure a pothole-free ride to 2030 in pursuit of the national vision and beyond.
The Kopa-Jopa Road in Chimanimani that was damaged when Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction in March 2019 was also rehabilitated.
As part of this project, four bridges will be upgraded from single lane low-level to double high-level standard.
With interconnectivity between the neighbouring Chimanimani and Chipinge districts restored, people in those areas are all smiles again.
The transport network has also greatly improved, thereby ensuring better service delivery and distribution of goods.
The re-established direct link between farms and markets for the transportation of fresh farm produce has also been sweet music to the farmers’ ears.
This thrust on infrastructure development, whose foundations are steeped in the build-back-better principle, confirms Government’s commitment to continuously improve people’s standard of living.
President Mnangagwa put it aptly: “One pleasing thing is that we used our own resources as a country to reconstruct all the roads that were damaged by Cyclone Idai. This shows that stone-by-stone and brick-by-brick we can reconstruct our infrastructure and economy.
“We want to ensure that all damaged infrastructure, be it roads, schools, clinics and houses, are rehabilitated. Our people should lead comfortable lives.”
To cater for the survivors of the devastating March 2019 Cyclone Idai, Government constructed new houses at Runyararo Village, formerly West End Farm near Nhedziwa Centre in Chimanimani District.
The first two batches of beneficiaries have already moved into the new homes.
This marked the fulfilment of Government’s pledge to relocate survivors from makeshift tents to permanent, new structures after many had been left homeless by the cyclone.
As efforts to ensure that NDS1’s housing delivery priority area comes to fruition, the President launched the Sakubva Urban Renewal Project in 2019 as part of the broader national initiative that seeks to turn local cities into smart, modernised metropolises.
This speaks to Government’s Vision 2030 and the project is expected to take off during the first quarter of this year.
In the agricultural sector, the need to invest in infrastructure cannot be overemphasised as our economy is agro-based.
To blow wind into these endeavours’ sail, the President commissioned Muchekeranwa Dam and the Presidential Community Fisheries project before launching the Muchekeranwa-Wenimbi Pipeline Project in May last year.
The dam has the capacity to irrigate about 2 250 hectares in Makoni and Marondera districts.
In Makoni, the dam is benefiting small-holder and commercial farmers, as well as the Chiduku-Ngowe and Romsley irrigation schemes and take sustainable agricultural projects a gear up.
Rusape and Headlands are also drawing water from the dam.
The fishery project is targeting the youths, women and other vulnerable groups and it will contribute immensely to food security and nutrition in the surrounding communities.
This will generate revenue for the district, provincial and ultimately the national economy.
Government and its Chinese partner also built the Marovanyati Dam in Buhera — Manicaland’s most arid district — to the tune of US$33 million.
About 1 250ha of fertile land in the district is being irrigated from the dam, thereby increasing the villagers’ food and nutrition security while also enhancing their livelihoods.
In President Mnangagwa’s own words: “The Marovanyati Dam project is a reflection of our commitment to facilitate the provision of sound enablers which will ensure that our people are active participants in the economic development and prosperity of our country, no matter where they live. The development path we are taking will leave no one behind and is set to lift millions out of poverty.”
A new dawn is beckoning for Zimbabwe with President Mnangagwa behind the wheel.
Indeed, the Second Republic has gone a gear up in growing the national economy through the various initiatives being undertaken.
With the ongoing economic growth being witnessed across the province and the country at large, the country’s development is inevitable.
