Lovemore Chikova Development Dialogue

Everything is now in place for the second term of the Second Republic to continue with the developmental trajectory started in its first term, consolidating the process.

With the Cabinet now in place, the last step in ensuring the post-election Constitutional rites are followed, everyone in their sectors know a lot needs to be done.

The ground laid by the Second Republic’s first term has been very solid.

In fact, President Mnangagwa has given a fresh look at how development can be successfully carried out in Zimbabwe, with more reliance on local talents and resources.

Outsiders are, of course, an important component of that developmental process, but coming as partners, rather than the drivers of the process as witnessed in other parts of the developing world.

The major lesson from President Mnangagwa is that developing countries have for years abandoned the developmental process to outsiders, with little command from themselves.

Leaving foreigners to dominate the developmental process has been a major hindrance for developing countries to take off quickly.

For instance, developed countries would want to continue relying on resources that are abundant in developing countries.

They are fully aware that once these developing countries reach a high level of development, they will be limited in their aim to have access to local resources.

The strategy has been to keep developing countries extending the begging bowl to Western countries, inviting the foreigners to lead the local developmental efforts.

In an effort to ensure that developing countries do not record a quick turnaround, these developed countries impose long and winding prescriptions that hinder development, rather than quicken it.

Developing countries that forge their own developmental trajectories free from the influences of the developed countries are quickly condemned.

Their novel development strategies are presented as ineffective and useless, yet these will be people-oriented programmes with practical examples of how they uplift people from poverty.

Perhaps this is why some Western scholars coined the Modernisation Theory of development which believes that for developing countries to make it, they have to go through the same processes which developed countries went through to reach where they are.

This theory suggests a long and arduous way to development, which will ensure developing countries remain stagnant forever.

President Mnangagwa is pretty much aware of such setbacks to development.

That is why he coined development philosophies such as “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”, a rallying point calling upon every Zimbabwean to regain confidence that the country can indeed make it using its talents and resources.

This philosophy has helped transform the thinking and attitude of Zimbabweans towards development, moving towards the realisation that they can provide solutions to their own problems without entirely being led by outsiders.

The philosophy is a counter to the Modernisation Theory which limits development to following the exact footsteps of countries that have developed already.

Development processes are not cast in stone, each country should be free to adopt strategies that suit its conditions and needs.

And it is only the locals who know very well and without doubt what they want and how they want to proceed.

This is a huge challenge thrown by President Mnangagwa, not only to Zimbabweans, but to the developing world.

It is possible to chart a unique developmental path that gives local solutions to local problems. Development needs practical action and concentrating on high-impact projects that bring positive results to the people.

This has been the hallmark of the Second Republic which has concentrated on basic issues that change the living standards of the people.

In the first term of the Second Republic, many projects were in areas that affect people daily — agriculture (food and nutrition), infrastructure (roads, dams, irrigation etc), energy and many others.

These provided a firm foundation as the Second Republic takes more developmental steps forward in its second term.

Steadily (brick by brick), progress is being made towards the achievement of Vision 2030 which envisages the country being an upper middle-income economy by that year.

This is anchored on a solid developmental plan being proffered by President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic which focuses on lifting the majority of people out of poverty.

In fact, Zimbabweans should desist from seemingly enjoying the unfair tag being placed on them of being a poor country, this breeds an inferiority complex that suppresses their potential to participate in development.

Through development programmes and projects being implemented by the Second Republic, the country is shrugging off the description of an impoverished country, which some would want to foster on it.

This is why President Mnangagwa has been working hard to instil confidence that Zimbabwe can be developed using local resources with the participation of local people.

It is about self-confidence and self-respect, and most importantly not being chained to the narrative that Zimbabwe, or any other developing country for that matter, cannot make it on its own.

President Mnangagwa emphasised these points yesterday when he addressed the Government high-level retreat in Harare that was attended by top Government officials.

The retreat was meant to develop a common understanding of President Mnangagwa’s administration’s people-centred transformative agenda.

“The Second Term of the Second Republic must, therefore, reflect our determination to leapfrog the socio-economic development, modernisation and industrialisation of our country, through high impact results,” said President Mnangagwa.

“As we do so, I exhort us to take pride in that we are Zimbabweans, a unique and resilient people, descendants of the Great Munhumutapa. Although we are under the albatross of the heinous illegal sanctions, this must never limit us. We must have a mentality that this is normal and achieve even greater success.”

President Mnangagwa said although lessons could be learnt from elsewhere, Zimbabweans should remain true to who they are as a people.

“Lessons can be learnt from elsewhere, but only adapted to enrich the realisation of our own vision and national priorities,” he said. “Our people deserve quality, affordable and accessible services. Under our watch, as Members of the Executive, more of our people must be taken out of poverty into prosperity, especially the vulnerable, women and youth.

“To achieve this, servant leadership, continuous learning and the responsive implementation of policies and projects remain integral.”

President Mnangagwa laid out the developmental programme for the Second Republic’s second term as follows:

• Accelerate projects such as Gwayi Shangani Dam, Kunzvi Dam, the Beitbridge-Bulawayo -Victoria Falls highway, and drilling of the 35 000 boreholes in villages, among others.
• Government Excellence Model; underpinned by research, science, technology and innovation, high standards of operations and performance awards; as well as improving Zimbabwe’s Competitiveness.
• Consolidating food security and sovereignty through higher agricultural production and productivity, as well as mechanisation and modernisation of the sector;
• Improving social services, education, health and utilities across the nation;
• Enhancing the transport system and other infrastructure, in both rural and urban communities;
• Ensuring that the rich mineral resource base benefits the people.
• Continue to enhance good corporate governance, entrench transparency and accountability, as well as generate value for money to the citizenry.
• Extend the reform process to the Public Entities to guarantee their viability and profitability.
• Fiscal and Monetary Policies to foster economic stability and predictability as well as spur confidence among citizens.
• Industrial development and productivity as well as Import Substitution Strategies to be intensified.
• High Level Forum on Public Sector Reforms and the Tripartite to continue to play a pivotal role.
• Strengthening of the framework being used for implementation of the National Development Strategy 1 for the monitoring and evaluation of the achievement of Vision 2030 targets.
• Enhance inclusive participation of all the stakeholders in the economy, with ministers and permanent secretaries being agile and providing the requisite leadership.
• The Ease of Doing Business Reforms will be on-going to increase both local and foreign investments.
• Sectors which remain burdened by numerous and overlapping legislative and regulatory processes, as well as licences, fees and taxes charged by Ministries, Departments and Agencies should be urgently attended to.
• Informed by the Devolution and Decentralisation Agenda, Government blueprints, programmes and projects will answer to the needs of households, villages, wards, districts and provinces.
• Provincial Development Plans to speak to the devolved systems.

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