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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter

THE National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) has recorded evidential successes under its 14 Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) with the Second Republic managing to provide clean and safe water to 77,5 percent of households.

The NDS1 programme was launched in October 2020 with its implementation commencing in 2021, under the 14 TWGs that were created to drive the programme and achieve set targets.

Presenting the post-Cabinet report yesterday, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services, Jenfan Muswere said Professor Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, told Cabinet on his NDS1 performance report for the fourth quarter of 2022 that under the TWGs on housing delivery, financiers and other stakeholders were preparing to commence preliminary works on the Smart Cities pilot projects for Melfort, Figtree and Chirundu.

Minister Jenfan Muswere

“Cabinet received and adopted the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) Performance Report for the Fourth Quarter of 2022. Cabinet is reminding the nation that following the launch of the NDS1 in October 2020, implementation commenced in 2021, under the 14 Thematic Working Groups that were created to drive the programme and achieve set targets,” said Minister Muswere.

The 14 national priority areas are economic growth and stability, food security and nutrition, moving the economy up the value chain and structural transformation, infrastructure and utilities, digital economy, human capital development and innovation. 

There is also health and well-being, image building, and international engagement and re-engagement, devolution and de-centralisation, women, youth, sport and culture, social protection, environmental protection, climate resilience and natural resources management as well as housing delivery, governance.

Minister Muswere said under the food and nutrition security TWG, milk production was boosted by the increase in the dairy herd from 22 000 to 38 000 and in the water sub-sector, Government procured additional rigs and drilled 437 boreholes, surpassing the fourth quarter target of 240 boreholes. 

“Under the infrastructural and utilities TWG, a cumulative 400km of the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge highway was upgraded and opened to traffic and as many as 19 airlines were flying into Zimbabwe by the end of 2022. The digital economy TWG resulted in the Broadband penetration target of 60 percent being exceeded by 0,8 percent while internet speeds increased in line with technological advancements. Geographic broadband network coverage exceeded the 70,61 percent target and reached 70,68 percent with the provision of localities with public internet access centres exceeding the targeted 8 percent to 12,8 percent,” said Minister Muswere.

He said the proportion of central Government organisations with a web presence reached 100 percent, exceeding the planned 59 percent quarterly target and a survey will be undertaken to establish the functionality of the websites.

The report noted that under the human capital development and innovation TWG, qualified critical skills workforce target of 30 500 artisans, technicians and technologists performed exceptionally well, and received 38 119 graduates from the November-December 2022 Higher Education Examinations Council (HEXCO) examinations and the population of learners taking up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects rose to 44 percent from the initial target of 43 percent.

“Innovation hubs and industrial parks increased significantly, in particular, Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences established a state-of-the-art Agro-Innovation Industrial Park on the Headlands Farm. The Midlands State University’s National Pathology and Diagnostic Centre was operationalised, several secondary schools were able to access mobile science laboratories manufactured at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and the target of rehabilitating infrastructure at 250 schools achieved 100 percent success. New schools were constructed through Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) schemes and the use of devolution funds disbursed by Government,” said Minister Muswere.

He said on health and well-being, Government is prioritising the capacitation of village health workers to promote early maternity bookings and delivery in health institutions and concerted efforts were being made to address the conditions of service of health care workers including monitoring the proportion of occupationally exposed workers, a process that is well on target.

The image building, international engagement and re-engagement TWG achieved several milestones such as 70 percent national radio coverage expansion. The programme enhanced the creation of a knowledgeable society and also promoted diversity and plurality which leaves no one and no place behind. Radio and television transmitters were installed at the Lupane State University Campus and at Manama Mission in Gwanda, Matabeleland South. Four bilateral investment protection and promotion agreements, international treaties and protocols were signed or ratified, out of the initial target of two. 

“Cabinet is further informing the nation that the devolution and decentralisation programme is targeting the implementation of projects that facilitate increased equitable development for empowered communities across all provinces and districts,” said Minister Muswere.

He said under the Second Republic’s social protection TWG, 4 601 primary schools benefited from the schools feeding programme and Government supported 64 566 children under the harmonised social cash transfer programme, surpassing the annual target of 45 000 children, mainly under the National Disability Policy and 2,9 million households received maize and traditional grains inputs under the climate-proofing Intwasa/Pfumvudza programme. – @skhumoyo2000