Blessings Chidakwa — Zimbabwe's ongoing economic growth is unstoppable, driven by the gallant fighters whose sacrifices will always serve as the light and inspiration, President Mnangagwa said yesterday.
In his 44th Heroes Day commemorations address at the National Heroes Acre, the President said even in the midst of neo-colonial machinations and illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, the people would continue to thrive through honouring their heroes.
"Our resilience is the bedrock of our survival as a nation. We vow to resolutely protect the integrity of our independence and the interests of our nation against those who wish us to fail. As such, and against all odds, our economy continues to register positive growth," said President Mnangagwa.
The ongoing economic growth bore testimony to the success of the diversification thrust, as Zimbabwe forged ahead despite the illegal sanctions, climate-induced shocks and international commodity price fluctuations.
In the agriculture sector output was increasing even in the face of the El Nino-induced drought, with the winter wheat cropping season scoring remarkable success after hitting a record 121 982 hectares.
The Government had already started rolling out preparations for the 2024-2025 summer cropping season, which was expected to restore food security through increased production on the back of massive irrigation infrastructure rehabilitation, expansion and use.
It was also providing social protection for vulnerable communities and households to ensure no one starved, added the President.
Major strides were being made in the energy and power sectors, critical in national socio-economic development through industrialisation.
Said President Mnangagwa: "Low power production levels at Kariba Power Station are being offset by the Hwange 7 and 8 expansion project, which now feeds a constant supply to the national grid. Among numerous power augmentation projects, two large solar plants with a total capacity of 250 megawatts are being developed and will soon be commissioned."
Following Zimbabwe's hosting of the United Nations Gastronomy Conference, President Mnangagwa said the United Nations Tourism Organisation had since approved the setting up of the African International Culinary Arts Academy in Victoria Falls.
On infrastructure development, President Mnangagwa said upgrading and expansion in the transport sector continued to deliver great results for the roads, bridges and related infrastructure. He commended the progress recorded so far at the Mbudzi Interchange, which would considerably reduce congestion on the key highway that leads to South Africa and into Harare's central business district, and from there to Zambia and the rest of Central and East Africa.
"Focus has shifted to the Harare-Chirundu road section, as well as the upgrading of the Harare-Kanyemba, Harare-Nyamapanda, the Old Gwanda Road and the Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway, among others," he said.
To ensure no one and no place was left behind, President Mnangagwa said the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (Rida), was attending to both gravel and surfaced roads, weirs and small dams for water provision for domestic and agricultural use, as well as infrastructure support for clinics, schools and dip tanks.
He called upon those in mining to ensure the nation derived maximum benefits from the precious minerals, which heroes fought for, by adding value and beneficiating them.
The manufacturing sector, the President said, was expanding value addition and beneficiation activities with capacity use increasing to 53 percent. Job creation in the sector had helped provide decent livelihoods to the people.
President Mnangagwa said his Government was committed to building a robust health delivery system that ensured the highest standards of care as it had, to date, equipped 78 percent of district hospitals with fully functional operating theatres for emergency maternity surgeries.
Government was also enhancing public-private partnerships to improve the teaching and learning environment at all previously disadvantaged schools.
"As it was during the liberation struggle, where cadres used to innovate during the prosecution of the war, students in the higher and tertiary education sub-sector are taking innovation to new heights and creating goods, services, jobs and industries," he said.
The Second Republic had relaunched the Youth Service in Zimbabwe training programme, said President Mnangagwa. The development was an important step in ensuring that young people were patriotic and loyal citizens, who reconnected with the national history and identify with the priceless sacrifices of liberators.
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The President reiterated that issues relating to the welfare and economic empowerment of veterans of the liberation struggle, widows and war victims, would continue to be given the attention they deserve as the majority of widows of heroes were not aware of their benefits while some children were not in school and not receiving the medical attention they deserved.
The Second Republic remained alive to the need to memorialise the Liberation War through repatriation, reburials and related processes to bring closure to the families of deceased veterans.
Apart from well-known bases such as Freedom Camp, Mkushi, Nyadzonia and Chimoio, the Government was availing resources towards repatriating and reburying thousands of veterans who still lie in shallow and unmarked graves in and outside the country.
"The need to accurately record, document and preserve the story of the liberation struggle cannot be over-emphasised.
"There are numerous records, which are available both in Zimbabwe and in countries that supported our revolutionary war," he said.
