The Sunday News
IMPORTANT work takes time and so goes the phrase, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” This expression functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient. This phrase was a French proverb in the late 1100s but was not recorded in English until 1545.
The phrase also applies to Zimbabweans who have to be patient and allow President Mnangagwa and his Government to put in place measures to fix the economy. The President has been on record as saying that a piecemeal approach would not help the situation, thus Zimbabweans have to brace for painful decisions that will cure the economy once and for all. Fixing the economy once and for all will obviously take time, but its benefits will be good for the country and future generations.
The Transitional Stabilisation Programme contains and expresses the aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe and draws its policy thrust from Vision 2030. It is meant to turnaround the fortunes of the country and the “aspirations of Vision 2030 will be realised through five strategic clusters namely: Governance; Macro-economic Stability and Re-engagement; Inclusive Growth; Infrastructure and Utilities; Social Development.
“The aspirations of Vision 2030 of a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Society are anchored by values and objectives which include: Improved Governance and the Rule of Law; Re-orientation of the country towards Democracy; Upholding Freedoms of Expression and Association; Peace and National Unity; Respect for Human and Property Rights; Attainment of Responsive Public Institutions; Broad based Citizenry Participation in national and socio-economic development programmes; Political and Economic Re-engagement with the global community; Creation of a Competitive and Friendly Business Environment; Enhanced domestic and foreign investment; An aggressive fight against all forms of Corruption.”
In a recent article published by the Financial Times, President Mnangagwa gave an analogy of how Margaret Thatcher turned things around in the UK.
“When Margaret Thatcher was elected UK prime minister in 1979, she recognised that piecemeal change would not be sufficient to tackle the problems of labour unrest, rampant inflation and economic stagnation. A wholesale transformation and modernisation of the British economy was required. While there would inevitably be downsides to such rapid change, Thatcher was undeterred.”
President Mnangagwa went on to say that challenges that Zimbabwe faces today are no less acute. “But my Government is committed to tackling them head on. Like Thatcher, we are not afraid of taking tough, and at times, painful decisions. As she used to put it, there is no alternative.”
While noting that there was already a positive change on the ground, the President said the road to recovery will not be smooth sailing, and we urge fellow Zimbabweans to take heed of President Mnangagwa’s frank talk and support the President and Government in the endeavour to make this country a better place for everyone.
To show that President Mnangagwa is walking the talk, economic turnaround measures are being implemented while the anti-corruption drive is also underway. The anti-corruption drive will save Zimbabwe hundreds of millions of dollars.
Investigations are underway and arrests are already being made, including of former ministers and senior executives. Indeed, the era of zero tolerance for corruption is here.
