HARARE-- As the nation celebrates its 38th anniversary of independence, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promised to deliver a new Zimbabwe, whose economy is able to
provide jobs and basic social services to citizens but has appealed for patience while the new administration works on realising this vision.
Delivering his maiden Independence Day speech before a capacity crowd at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Wednesday, President Mnangagwa said his administration was putting emphasis on pursuing investment-led economic recovery, job creation, enhancing the ease of doing business, attaining national food security and poverty reduction.
He said the new government was also focusing on constructing and rehabilitating critical infrastructure, effective provision of social services and respect for the rule of law.
Our 38 years of independence have not been without challenges. Mistakes have been made, opportunities have been missed. In recent years, progress has not been as smooth as we would have liked, he said.
We have set out our national vision to be a middle income country by 2030, with increased investment, broad-based empowerment, decent jobs and a country free from poverty and corruption.
Granted that the task is great, the pace of change is not always as we would have liked, and we will not achieve all our goals overnight. But inspired by this vision, underpinned and buttressed by unity of purpose,
transparency, accountability, dialogue and unswerving discipline, we shall realise our goals. Zimbabwe will rise again.
President Mnangagwa said the new administration's vision for Zimbabwe had brought renewed hope among citizens and foreign investors. This renewed domestic and foreign investor confidence has seen our projected economic growth increase from 3.7 per cent last year to 4.5 per cent in 2018, he said.
This upward momentum is underpinned by the positive performance in the agriculture, mining, tourism and construction sectors, and is further spurred by increased revenue performance following the plugging of
revenue leakages.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
