Africa Moyo, Deputy News Editor
ZIMBABWEANS should expect to see a marked change in the way the Second Republic conducts its business this year, as all systems are being improved to respond to the people’s needs, Acting President Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.
In an interview at his offices in Harare, the Acting President said 2025 promised to be exciting on the back of the current wet spell being experienced across the country, giving hope for a good cropping season and pastures for livestock.
High impact projects such as dam and road construction, together with provision of decent and affordable housing, would be continued, he added.
“We are all enthused about the prospects for the year. The Gods have smiled on us. We are receiving rain which is good for our crops and pastures,” said Acting President Mohadi.
“I am happy to inform the nation that the Whole-of-Government remains steadfast on President Mnangagwa’s commitment to realise his Vision 2030 for Zimbabwe. Even as the President is on leave, we are busy fine-tuning the Whole-of-Government architecture, to be responsive to the needs of the people. It cannot be business as usual. You will see marked changes in the way we conduct business.”
The good rains were expected to help the country save a lot of money that would ordinarily go towards making sure extra food reached a lot of people who would have lost their crops, as well as the cost of imports.
With prospects of a decent harvest, extra funds will now be channelled towards development, which has been the hallmark of the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa since 2018.
In the last summer cropping season, Zimbabwe’s yields were affected by the erratic rains due to the El-Nino weather phenomenon, resulting in Government funds being used to provide grain for many rural families and cash allowances for the poorest of the urban families as a result President’s call of ensuring that no one should starve.
Acting President Mohadi said the Government needed the “hunter spirit” in its operations, adding that sufficient preparations for a successful year have been made, riding on the milestones achieved last year.
Asked if last year was a success, he said: “Depending on how you view it yourselves, I would describe 2024 as a year in which as Government, we took bold and decisive decisions to pursue and consolidate our development thrust towards the attainment of Vision 2030.”
Last year many achievements were recorded in terms of economic stabilisation, health sector improvement, commendable regional contributions and good performances in the agricultural sector, among other milestones.
On economic reforms, Acting President Mohadi said Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), introduced the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency to replace the Zimbabwe dollar.
This move stabilised the economy, as it laid the foundation for “sustained economic growth”, he said, reiterating that no country in the world can develop without its own currency.
Turning to infrastructure development, Acting President Mohadi said the impact of last year’s severe drought affected progress on many fronts, including infrastructure development as resources had to be diverted towards mitigating the effects of drought.
“However, Zimbabwe completed 520km of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway and 1 500km of road rehabilitation.
“We also saw the commissioning of the new Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by His Excellency (President Mnangagwa), which increased the airport’s passenger capacity”.
On digital transformation, the major development was the licensing of Starlink, a satellite internet service in the country.
The coming of Starlink, said Acting President Mohadi, was an acknowledgement of the information sector as a major contributor to the economy. Following the investments by other local companies and the coming of Starlink, overall internet penetration increased from 63 percent in 2023 to the present levels of 75 percent in 2024.
In the agricultural sector, Zimbabwe set a new wheat harvest record after attaining over 550 000 tonnes following heavy investments in irrigation while farmers were provided uninterrupted electricity supply.
Acting President Mohadi said another bold and decisive step of the Government last year was the issuing of new land title deeds that give indigenous farmers direct ownership of their land, allowing them to use the land as collateral for loans or sell it for investment.
President Mnangagwa launched the new land title deeds programme at Precabe Farm on December 20, with the first beneficiaries receiving their title deeds.
On the political front, the country remained peaceful, despite unfounded reports of divisions in some sections of the media.
“As a people we have remained united. The divisions we hear about, if any, are those we read from newspapers and social media.
“The year 2024, saw the successful launch of the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Outreach by the President, His Excellency Dr Mnangagwa. This initiative seeks to address the historical grievances arising from the Gukurahundi disturbances.
“This programme, spearheaded by our traditional leaders, identifies individuals and communities directly and indirectly affected, captures their views, and establishes community-led solutions to their grievances. Their involvement ensures that the process is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and reflective of the aspirations of affected communities,” he said.
Zimbabwe also hosted a successful 44th SADC Summit in Harare in August, attracting a record number of delegates from the region.
In November, Zimbabwe also hosted an Extraordinary Sadc Summit to resolve some emerging issues in the region.
Acting President Mohadi said as Zimbabwe continued to assert its leadership role within SADC, several milestones were achieved including regional integration, peace and sustainable development.
On the health front, Government procured cancer machines for Parirenyatwa and Mpilo hospitals and also implemented a basic diagnostic tool for village health workers to screen and diagnose basic conditions.
In response to concerns from many football fans where the national football team, the Warriors, has been staging its “home games” in other countries, Acting President Mohadi said Government is now finalising “the long-awaited installation of the bucket seats” at the National Sports Stadium.
Other sporting facilities such as Magamba, will be modernised.
Acting President Mohadi added that as “a proud Zanu PF cadre”, it would be amiss for him to discuss political developments in the country without acknowledging his party’s role.
The revolutionary party, he said, held a successful 21st Zanu PF Annual National People’s Conference in Bulawayo in October.
“This is a pivotal event in our party’s calendar and the highest expression of democracy within Zanu PF. The conference allowed us to reflect on our achievements and identify areas where we need to improve as a Government.
“Importantly, the resolutions adopted were rooted in the aspirations and voices of the people,” he said.
Turning to his own health, Acting President Mohadi, who was said to be unwell on social media, dismissed the reports.
Arriving for the interview earlier, he asked photographers if they needed his pictures before letting them embark on a five minute photo shoot.
The Acting President then asked them, jokingly, if they needed more time, to which they said they were fine.
Later in his address, he referred to the social media allegations of ill health, and scoffed at claims he was in India to seek medical attention.
Acting President Mohadi said by being at the media engagement, that should dispel reports he was battling for his life.
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