The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said the challenges facing the country will be overcome, adding that the nation needs to work towards unity and a common purpose to achieve prosperity that citizens deserve.
In a State of the Nation Address at the State House on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said the country was facing both natural disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and illegal sanctions and the divisive politics of unpatriotic opposition parties but these will be dealt with as the country pushes to achieve its Vision 2030 goal.
He said the country will continue to push for the reform agenda, restructure and rebuild the nation.
“The New Dispensation came with the clear goal to improve the plight of the majority of our people, through an elaborate agenda to reform, restructure and rebuild towards the achievement of Vision 2030. Undoubtedly, my Administration has faced many hurdles and attacks since its inauguration.
“The included the diverse politics of some opposition elements, the illegal economic sanctions, cyclones, droughts and more recently the deadly covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said to this was economic aggression, local currency manipulation and detractors who fear the inevitable imminent success of the country’s reforms.
“All this was meant to undermine our projected economic growth and stability. As a result, we have had to constantly recalibrate our compass to ensure that we remain on course and that the standard of life of the majority in our society gets better and better,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the nation was bent on maintaining a clear and stable goal of moving forward to reach desired goals.
“This is the goal of peace, unity, stability, development, progress and prosperity. Although our progress has been slowed down, rest assured that we shall achieve our objectives. We will overcome. We will defeat the attack and stop the bleeding of our economy. We will overcome attempts at destabilization of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors,” he said.
He further said reforms, opening up, liberalization and modernisation that the country had started working on will continue at an accelerated pace than before, saying those who promote hate and disharmony will not win.
He stressed the need for unity and working together towards a common goal and dealing with each other in honesty and love, being the recipe to achieve the prosperity that citizens deserve.
“We make no apologies for fixing our systems across the socio, economic and political spectrum. Accountability and transparency will keep on being enforced in every facet of our society. These values are, after all, the DNA of the 2nd Republic and must permeate all our institutions.
“Our political reforms have equally been guided by these twin concepts. We repealed and replaced POSA and AIPPA in the spirit of these ideals. The new legislation, the Maintenance of Order and Peace Act (MOPA), was created after much deliberation and consultation,” he added.
President Mnangagwa said his Administration remains committed to enhancing cooperation with friends and partners in the international community, as they entrench democracy and the rule of law within their jurisdiction.
He said they will continue to strive to achieve the delicate balance between the maintenance of peace and security on the one hand and protecting civil liberties and individual rights, on the other.
He also said opportunities were being created across all economic sectors.
“The development agenda we began is taking shape in line with Vision 2030, and incorporates the youth and marginalised of our country, leaving no one behind.
“Levelling of the economic development playing field is ongoing through our devolution policy. Reforms related to opening up the economy, and to empowering entrepreneurs as well as unleashing the creative potential of the private sector and SMEs, are bearing fruit. Corruption at all levels must stop.
“Meanwhile, let us be consistent in all that we do. Through persistence and hard work, we will achieve a sustainable and prosperous future for all. Zimbabwe has to get back to working efficiently again. Vision 2030 will become a reality. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to succeed.”
President Mnangagwa said citizens must therefore pledge, individually and collectively, to defend the country, to be productive, to grow the economy and never to tear the motherland apart by dividing its people.
“In unison we must proclaim that “Enough is enough. This is Zimbabwe, our Motherland and we will defend her from any form of attack. As your President, I vow to continue working harder and walking the talk towards the Vision we have set out. Let us together cultivate a society of hope, and not despair; of inspiration instead of desperation. Unity in place of disunity, love in place of hate, and peace instead of disharmony and instability,” he said.
@NyembeziMu
