EDITORIAL COMMENT: Let’s not be woodwinked by the country’s detractors Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda

A high-powered delegation from China’s National Reform and Development Commission arrived in the country at the weekend to train locals in the requisite skills to implement mega deals signed between Zimbabwe and China during President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent visit to China. The team is led by Madam Song Gongmei, who is the deputy Director General of the International Centre of the National Reform and Development Commission.
Yesterday the team met Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare before later signing an agreement with the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda on the skills capacitation programme. The training of Government officials starts today.

Speaking to journalists after the signing ceremony, Dr Sibanda said: “We have just received a high-powered delegation from the People’s Republic of China from an institution called the National Reform and Development Commission of China which is a think tank responsible for the dynamic and far reaching reforms in China since 40 years ago.

“They have come to us following an earlier agreement we signed with them in 2015 as we were conceptualising the establishment of Special Economic Zones and other areas which could fast track our development programmes. They are coming now on the heels of His Excellency President Mnangagwa’s successful State visit to China. They have been mandated by their Government to follow up and try to actualise those deals that have been signed by proffering the necessary capacitation in terms of skills. That is the essence of the agreement we signed. They will be training us in various areas so that we move forward in terms of implementation and that is why you saw quite a number of colleagues from ministries and officials from State enterprises,” said Dr Sibanda.

President Mnangagwa and his high-powered delegation secured a number of deals that are set to propel Zimbabwe’s economic turnaround. Some of the secured deals include the impending refurbishment of the Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 which is set to increase power generation by 600 megawatts.

The country’s enemies including the private media instead of focusing on the many positives of this trip were concentrating on trivia. The same prophets of doom seem to have forgotten too soon that recently President Mnangagwa commissioned a $533m Kariba South Extension Project that added 300 megawatts to the national grid.

The project implemented with the assistance of the Chinese government, is one of the benefits of the Sino-Zimbabwe relations.

Zimbabweans should not be hoodwinked by the country’s enemies who do not want to see progress but should instead brace for an economic boom when the country starts rolling out some of the mega deals signed in China.

The arrival of Chinese experts signal the start of the implementation of the mega deals which will obviously accelerate Zimbabwe’s economic turnaround.

You Might Also Like

Comments