Mudenda says Parliament must ensure that Zimbabwe passes a pro-poor 2019 budget

The economy is beginning to slowly but progressively recover notwithstanding the fiscal tremors that the economy is experiencing of late. What is needed is fortitude, perseverance and a political will to weather the current economy glitches.

As observed by the late great statesman of Africa and former President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Cde Nelson Mandela in 1999 , “The long walk is not yet over. The prize of a better life has yet to be won”.

The long walk to economic freedom is arduous and yet it should be accomplished without fail. To that an extent, Parliament must firmly put this country on a road to economic recovery through passing a Budget that is anthropocentric and pro-poor in character.

The economic trajectory of the 2019 National Budget must be predicated on the primacy to fulfill the will of the people from whom the authority to govern is derived as aptly enunciated in section 3(2)(f) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe .

Accordingly, the Budget must lay accent on the people’s hankering for a better life through job creation and quality service delivery. That reality should always resonate at the back of our minds as we craft the 2019 Budget.

In this regard, Parliament, as the sovereign representative institution of the people of Zimbabwe, must not abdicate its sacred role of passing a robust Budget that is in accord with the national people’s developmental aspirations.

As a disciple of constitutionalism, I wish to emphatically state the vision of section 13 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which provides as follows:-

“( 1) The State and all institutions and agencies of government at every level must endeavour to facilitate rapid and equitable development, and in particular must take measures to—

(a) promote private initiative and self-reliance;

(b) foster agricultural, commercial, industrial, technological and scientific development ;

(c) foster the development of industrial and commercial enterprises in order to empower Zimbabwean citizens; and

(d) bring about balanced development of the different areas of Zimbabwe , in particular a proper balance in the development of rural and urban areas.”

The operative words in the above constitutional provision are “rapid and equitable development” in all sectors of our economy. For that to be achievable, we need to grow the national Budgetary cake through vigorous and assertive efforts in Domestic Resource Mobilisation.

That can be attained by embracing value addition and beneficiation of our mineral resources and agricultural products. Why export raw minerals such as gold, diamonds and chrome, for example? Processed minerals can create value accruals six to ten times more of the value of unprocessed minerals!

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