Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has outlined six things that the country has to do to revive its ailing economy.
Writing in his weekly column for the Sunday Mail, Mnangagwa said:
- First, we must resolve to be self-reliant. That means accepting our full responsibility and burden to develop our country Zimbabwe. We cannot rely on the global which is disintegrating, in any event. Hence the mantra: Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo.
- Second, we must acknowledge that “our supply system will be built with the swell of our soil, and the sweat of our labourers”. The farmer and the worker are the bedrock of the Zimbabwean economic miracle. Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy, which means foremost, our liquidity must go into our land! Both in our National Budget and with respect to portfolios of our financial institutions, our consolidated financial might must be felt on the land.
- Third, we must “Make in Zimbabwe” but do so efficiently and competitively so Zimbabweans can then be persuaded to Buy Zimbabwe, rather than elsewhere. This means moving away from reliance on antiquated production technologies so our production systems are technology-driven. “Make in Zimbabwe” means “Retool Zimbabwe” and “Digitalise Zimbabwe”. It also means “Re-skill Zimbabwe”.
- Fourth, we must now develop a comprehensive masterplan and response to results of the National Skills Survey, which revealed serious skills gaps in the Economy, all-round. This national skills strategy should talk to our whole industrialisation and beneficiation strategy designed to create local value chains initially for meeting local needs. Happily, work has already begun at all our tertiary institutions.
- Fifth, both our Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, ZIDA, and our ZimTrade must scout for investors and investments, as well as markets, which talk to our Make in Zimbabwe Strategy.
- Sixth and critically, as with our infrastructure masterplan, we must invest in capital goods and technologies which go with local value chains we already have or wish to start. As I write, Government’s infrastructure masterplan caused companies involved to invest in road construction machinery. We are now very strong in that area.
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