The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe continue to hamper the many successes that have been recorded by the Second Republic, these inclusive of the modernization and the industrialization of the nation based on its local resources and human capital base.
This was revealed by President Mnangagwa at the General debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA today.
The President said massive infrastructure development projects which include dams, energy plants and roads have broadened the national economic asset base as well as production and productivity enablers, while enhancing regional connectivity and integration.
“Notwithstanding our success, the on-going deleterious effects of the illegal sanctions continue to hamper and slow down our progress and the realisation of sustainable and inclusive development.
Zimbabwe is a peace loving country. We remain indebted to the SADC region and the African Union, as well as other progressive members in the comity of nations for their unwavering support and calls for the removal of these unwarranted and unjustified sanctions. We once again call for their immediate and unconditional removal. My country welcomes the findings of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Negative Impact of the Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights, who visited Zimbabwe in 2021,” said President Mnangagwa.
He added that the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra has fostered strong partnership between the Government and the private sector for inclusive and sustainable development. President Mnangagwa further noted that economic reforms have been implemented in the country resulting in significant progress in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining and tourism.
“The current global financial architecture has demonstrated its inadequacies to address the challenges that confront us. Increasing and unsustainable debt burden, prohibitive cost of borrowing, illicit financial flows and exploitation of natural resources from developing countries, have all combined to relegate developing countries to the periphery of the global financial system. There is therefore need for a global financial system which is just, more inclusive and responsive to the challenges we face,” he said.
On the global Covid-19 pandemic, President Mnangagwa noted that despite the illegal economic sanctions, Zimbabwe successfully implemented its Covid-19 National Response Strategy, anchored largely by its own internal resources and institutional capacities. He said the pro-active approach by his administration enabled the country to achieve high vaccination rates, which extended to children up to 12 years.
“Meanwhile, our focus on the construction, rehabilitation and modernisation of health facilities across the country, coupled with the enhanced capacities around bio-technology and the pharmaceutical value chain, attests to my Government’s determination to realise Universal Health Coverage. My Government is equally providing quality, inclusive and accessible education through the roll out of a phased free primary school education system. The Transforming Education Summit, during this High-Level Week, is a timely and welcome development which should help revitalise the education sector, more so after COVID -19 induced disruptions,” said the President.
He further said that, globally, there was still a lot to be done, to close the gender gaps that are often aggravated in times of crises, noting that opportunities are being created for all Zimbabweans, especially for women and youths, to realise their individual and collective potential.
“The proportional representation for women in Parliament is enshrined in the Constitution. Under my leadership, Zimbabwe has legislated reserved youth seats in the National Assembly. To further strengthen participatory democracy and good governance, my government has introduced a 30 percent quota for women in Local Authorities. This is more important as women bear the brunt of poor service delivery at the local level,” said the President.
