Editorial Comment: Zimbabwe has come of age Prof Moyo
Prof Moyo

Prof Moyo

TOMORROW Zimbabweans from all walks of life will converge at various venues dotted around the country to celebrate 34 years of self rule and determination. Our country has come of age.
This year’s independence celebrations are special in that the country has turned the corner and Zimbabweans have begun to find each other after 15 years of polarisation, economic and political stagnation. Zimbabweans are also finding each other across the political divide and that is refreshing.

The Uhuru celebrations also come against the backdrop of a resounding victory by Zanu-PF which swept to a landslide win in last year’s harmonised elections. President Mugabe garnered 61,09 percent of the vote to his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai’s 33,94 percent with Zanu-PF clinching 160 seats out of the 210 National Assembly constituencies to land a crushing 76 percent dominance of the Lower House of Parliament.

After factoring in 60 women’s quota seats elected by proportional representation of six for each of the 10 provinces, the final composition of the National Assembly stood at 196 seats for Zanu-PF, 70 for MDC-T, two for the MDC, and two independent giving Zanu-PF just under 73 percent of the total seats in the National Assembly but well over the two thirds majority of 180 seats.

The picture is replicated in the Senate which is chosen on proportional representation. The revolutionary party also dominates local government with 1,501 wards to MDC-T’s 442 out of the country’s 1,958 wards spread across 92 local authorities countrywide. This year’s independence celebrations theme “Zimbabwe @34:

Defending Our Sovereignty and Providing an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Social Transformation” appears to be anchored on the country’s economic blueprint — the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (ZimAsset).

We feel this is fitting as ZimAsset will guide our country’s path for the next five years and lay the foundation for future prosperity. Indeed, Zimbabweans have every reason to merry-make and celebrate their hard-won independence tomorrow and consolidate the unity of purpose that is currently prevailing in the country.

The mood in the country following the harmonised elections last year was reminiscent of the period immediately after the historic 1980 polls which ushered in the first majority black Government and it is in that spirit that we exhort all Zimbabweans to turn out in their numbers to celebrate this momentous occasion.

It is futile for anyone to dream of reversing the will of the people and we urge people like MDC-T leader Tsvangirai to join the rest of Zimbabwe in honouring the gallant sons and daughters of this country who paid the ultimate price for this country’s freedom. We totally agree with the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Professor Jonathan Moyo, who yesterday said the nation was moving forward beyond the polarisation of the past 15 years and the country had come of age.

In a statement ahead of the independence commemorations tomorrow, Prof Moyo said: “This year’s Independence commemorations are unique in a very special way beyond the 34th number due to the palpable fact that there’s something in the prevailing national sentiment that took root before and found consolidation after the 31st July 2013 harmonised general election, overwhelmingly won by Zanu-PF, which is reminiscent of the spirit of 1980. The spirit of 1980 is the summary and content of our independence.”

He added: “Over the last 15 or so years, Zimbabweans had been deeply polarised along very negative political lines as the British government and its Anglo-Saxon allies recruited and colluded with quislings among us to seek illegal regime change while imposing illegal economic sanctions that devastated the livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans and cost our economy some $44 billion between 2001 and 2013.” The country has displayed a remarkable sense of unity and tolerance since the outcome of elections with focus now turned to fighting corruption and getting the economy out of the woods.

Zimbabwe is refocusing its energy towards attracting investment, new lines of credit, boosting productivity in key areas such as mining and agriculture to anchor the economic revival. It is also harnessing the collective talents and expertise of all its citizens across the divide to help in this regard.

This renewed sense of unity of purpose should be enhanced and encouraged so that the country attains its goals. Post July 2013, Zimbabweans have displayed a strong appetite for honest hard work as opposed to a culture of pilferage and corruption which had become endemic to the detriment of the economy. Moving forward, the country is poised for economic growth anchored on ZimAsset and we can only urge Zimbabweans to give the blueprint a chance so that it is implemented to completion. It’s our only fighting chance of rescuing this economy.

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