Mvuma, October 6, 2022 (New Ziana) – The unprecedented quick development pace Zimbabwe is recording across various sectors of the economy continues to confound its detractors who are pursuing nefarious activities to stall the country’s growth, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday.
Massive achievements spanning several sectors including mining, agriculture and transport have been recorded since the advent of the Second Republic in 2017.
In the agricultural sector, for example, Zimbabwe is poised to record a bumper wheat harvest this year, ensuring self sufficiency for the first time in a long time.
In mining, massive investments are being made across several minerals including platinum, lithium and iron ore where a massive US$1 billion integrated iron and steel plant is coming up in Mvuma.
The Second Republic has also made gains on the infrastructure development front where crucial transport infrastructure such as the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road is being upgraded to modern standards while the country’s biggest airport, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International is also undergoing massive renovations.
While reeling under economic sanctions, and also being excluded from global Covid-19 funding support, Zimbabwe put on an impressive show in managing the pandemic, especially the procurement of vaccines.
Spurred by such achievements, President Mnangagwa said while sanctions were a hinderance, the government would do its best under the circumstances to develop the country.
“Those who imposed sanctions on us are wondering how we are progressing in spite of those sanctions; we shall progress,” he said while officiating at a ground breaking ceremony for the Mvuma iron and steel plant.
“We are rising, Zimbabwe is a roaring lion and will continue to roar and the roaring of a lion instils fear to those who are against us.”
President Mnangagwa has maintained that Zimbabwe was eager to be a friend to all and an enemy to none, but on top of economic sanctions Western countries have been at the forefront of promoting local opposition parties and non-governmental organisations in pursuit of a regime change agenda.
The European Union, US, and Britain imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe two decades ago to force the government to abandon its land reforms in which excess white-owned farmland was compulsorily acquired to resettle landless blacks to economically empower them.
The sanctions, targeting both the economy and individual Zimbabweans seen as central to decision-making in government, are estimated to have cost the country up to US$100 billion
– New Ziana
