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By Lovemore Chazingwa in Kadoma
Those who are found to be basking in the glory of watching infrastructure lie idle will find themselves watching from a distance as Government is set to relocate such holders and replace them with able hands which can put the resources to good use.
Mashonaland West Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Hon. Mary Mliswa-Chikoka read the riot act in her opening remarks at the ongoing Mashonaland West economic development plan workshop in Kadoma.
“Through the provincial devolution program, Mashonaland West will increase in the gross domestic product (GDP), utilizing several strategies which include increasing agricultural output with respect of our maize, tobacco, cotton and other cereals through extensive development and resuscitation of irrigation infrastructure. We should be able to identify and utilize irrigation schemes in our areas. Some of the schemes are actually dilapidated and obsolete. We need to wake up that irrigation scheme. Those not utilizing irrigation schemes: we will be able to relocate them where they can be. It is going to be a painful process for some, but, it has to be done. Some will be very much uncomfortable, but we have to do it. We cannot allow such schemes to just die while we’re watching.”
The Minister pointed to the bigger picture. In 2020 the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) introduced the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1. In her own words, NDS1 is the country’s blueprint developed through an extensive consultation process involving all stakeholders.
The blueprint is aimed at realising the country’s Vision 2030 for an Upper Middle Income Economy. Simultaneously, it is addressing the global aspirations of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Africa Agenda 2063.
She continued: “Likewise, our Provincial Development Strategy 1 must be characterized by extensive consultations right from the grassroots level.”
Minister Mliswa touched on mining and tourism development, “We have to maximize mining and tourism development of the province. We don’t have that push in ourselves to discover what we have. In the local areas, we have resorts that exist. If tourism is intense, a lot of downstream and upstream benefits accrue. The major thrust of NDS1 is to leave no one and no place behind. This, therefore, entails that as a province we have a huge task ahead, to ensure that the width and breadth of the province are consulted. This is fundamentally imperative if we’re to develop a holistic strategy that will capture and address the needs and desires of the provinces’ populace. The crafting of this document will give us room to direct attention and activities towards that which will enable us to achieve the desired economic growth and development through the rising of our provincial GDP.”
She said the obtaining provincial pledge is, ease of doing business, ethical conduct, and zero tolerance to corruption.
The conference is attended by local government provincial leadership, local authority executives, the business community, and civil society.
