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President Mnangagwa on Tuesday addressed his first Cabinet meeting following his victory and that of his ruling party Zanu-PF in the August 23/24 elections and emphasised the need to accelerate production and productivity across all sectors.  

President Mnangagwa said all projects and programmes embarked on during the First Term of the Second Republic should be completed speedily. 

He said the Government’s policies, programmes and projects should remain people-centred as Government strives to improve the people’s livelihoods. 

President Mnangagwa said all Government ministries should facilitate the ease of doing business so that Zimbabwe remains an investment and tourism destination of choice. He said Cabinet must therefore expedite attainment of all set targets across all sectors. 

“It is critical for Cabinet Ministers to be responsive and robustly track the implementation of policies and programmes that quicken the attainment of set goals,” said President Mnangagwa. 

President Mnangagwa

He said the Second Republic will work tirelessly to ensure people have access to basic services which must also remain affordable. 

The new Cabinet ministers are taking over from a winning team and what is to their advantage is that some of the ministers are from the previous Cabinet. 

The big challenge is to build on the growth momentum of the previous Cabinet which during the past five years implemented a number of life –changing projects. President Mnangagwa last year directed relevant ministries to set up a working committee on diaspora affairs in response to concerns raised by the Diaspora community. The committee was chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and deputised by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. 

The other ministries making up the committee were Home Affairs, Industry and Trade as well as Lands and Agriculture. 

The committee was supposed to mobilise the Diaspora community to contribute to the development of the country taking advantage of their various skills acquired over the years in the different countries where they are based. 

The Zimbabweans in the diaspora have said they are ready to invest in various sectors of the economy. They have singled out agriculture, real estate, tourism, education and health among top opportunity windows which they say could benefit from skills they have acquired while working in the different countries. 

The new Cabinet should therefore ensure this committee remains active in mobilising Zimbabweans to invest back home because it is Zimbabwean citizens that should take the lead in investing in their country. 

There is a need to take advantage of this huge appetite of the Diaspora community to invest back home. 

It is a fact that there is no substitute for home and Zimbabwe remains the only home for Zimbabweans hence the need for all citizens including those in the Diaspora to contribute to the building of the Zimbabwe we all want. 

What is encouraging is that Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are eager to invest back home and the Government on its part has made a commitment to continue providing a conducive operating environment for investors.  Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.