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IN his Easter message to the people of Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa said despite the difficult times people are going through, he is confident that with hard work, sacrifice and unity, Zimbabwe will triumph. 

The President said although the country’s challenges were significant, forgiveness, peace and love among the people of Zimbabwe will see the country pulling through.

“As we celebrate Easter, we commemorate our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection. The struggle and victory of light over darkness, of life over death. In Zimbabwe, we are currently undergoing our own struggle of light over darkness. As we walk the road of transformation and reform, we are guided by our Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings of forgiveness, peace and love, and take comfort from his victory,” said the President.

“For while the challenges we face are significant, we are resolute in our faith that with hard work, sacrifice and unity, we too will triumph. On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe and the first family, I would like to wish all Zimbabweans at home and abroad a blessed Easter. Ngaikomborerwe nyika yeZimbabwe. Kalibusiswe ilizwe leZimbabwe.” 

In a separate message posted on his Twitter account over the Easter weekend, MDC Alliance president Mr Nelson Chamisa appeared to make a major climb-down from his hardline stance against inter-party dialogue and called for an engagement between him and President Mnangagwa to tackle national challenges affecting the country. 

Mr Chamisa said he was willing for a direct engagement with President Mnangagwa to discuss political, economic and social issues affecting the country.

“Where we are going now requires us to think and act like Zimbabweans. Our dire situation is no longer about MDC or Zanu-PF but about Zimbabwe. We have a nation to build and a generation to defend. We have power,” said Mr Chamisa in his message. 

When contacted to unpack his message, Mr Chamisa said his message was self-explanatory. “We need to put an end to these economic problems for the sake of ourselves and our children. That is the import of the message I posted on my twitter account. It is very clear and self-explanatory,” he said. 

President Mnangagwa’s message of peace, unity, hard work and sacrifice is apt coming as it does against economic upheavals wrought by price hikes which have hit ordinary Zimbabweans hard. Mr Chamisa’s conciliatory gesture is also welcome as he cannot continue to hold the country at ransom by pursuing a scorched earth policy of kudira jecha through calling for sanctions. 

The country is going through an economic transition and as President Mnangagwa has always said, the road ahead will be tough with many pitfalls as the country navigates the path to Vision 2030 which envisages an upper middle class economy.

The economic haemorrhaging of the past 20 years cannot be corrected in the short period the new dispensation has been in charge but what is important is that the Government is taking the right steps to put the country back on track. 

Slowly but surely Zimbabwe will be rebuilt brick by brick and the baby steps are already in sight for all to see.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, is doing a splendid job with his team at Treasury where they have managed to rein in Government expenditure, achieve a budget surplus for the first time in years and re-establish relations with multi-lateral financial institutions with a view to unlocking fresh lines of credit. 

Recently, the International Monetary Fund and the Government reached agreement on macroeconomic policies and structural reforms that can underpin a Staff Monitored Programme.

The SMP, which will be monitored on a quarterly basis, aims to implement a coherent set of policies that can facilitate a return to macroeconomic stability. 

Successful implementation will assist in building a track record and facilitate Zimbabwe’s re-engagement with the international community. Meanwhile, using funds from the two percent tax, roads are being re-surfaced throughout the country while bridges and other key infrastructure are being built. 

Elsewhere, the Cold Storage Company is on the road to a major rebound with a new investor having injected significant funds to recapitalise the beef processor.

Clearly, Zimbabwe shall rise again but it will take time, hard work, dedication, unity, peace and love for the country to achieve prosperity. 

We are delighted that the leader of the main opposition party, Mr Chamisa, is beginning to see the light and hope his Easter message is followed through so that he joins other political parties that are engaged in dialogue with President Mnangagwa. 

Zimbabwe needs all hands on deck to overcome its challenges and Mr Chamisa’s gesture should be commended if indeed he has finally seen the light and is willing to recognise President Mnangagwa as the legitimately elected Head of State. 

We have always insisted that Zimbabwe’s problems will be resolved by Zimbabweans themselves and the MDC-A, as one of the political actors in the country, also has a role to play. Taking the country to the brink of economic collapse for the sake of power is self-defeating.