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Nduduzo Tshuma in Masvingo
THE ruling Zanu-PF party takes the issue of the Zimbabwean economy seriously and as such made it a focal point in its ongoing 16th National People’s Conference, President Mugabe said yesterday.

In his key note address as he officially opened the conference in Masvingo, President Mugabe said the theme of the meeting, “Moving with Zim-Asset in Peace and Unity” was meant to set the tone in the discussions covering the various economic sectors.

“The conference theme which is both timely and relevant, makes economical matters the focal point of most of our deliberations in the three days we are here for the conference,” he said.

“As delegates, we are all expected to actively debate and proffer solutions for our country’s economic recovery in agriculture, Mining, manufacturing and commerce, tourism, infrastructure and in several other areas. At this conference, we anticipate robust, frank, informed and informing ministers and committees’ presentations and delegates’ subsequent discussions. All delegates are expected to actively participate in the conference in one form or another.”

President Mugabe said while the country had experienced drought due to poor rainfalls last season, the Government has lived up to its commitment to cushion affected citizens from hunger.

“We have been able in a bad year, 2016, during which we were visited by drought which caused our harvest to be poor and therefore created a situation of hunger amongst our people, we have been able to feed our people and we continue the task of ensuring that no one dies of hunger,” said President Mugabe.

He paid tribute to Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made and his Public Service Labour and Social Welfare counterpart Prisca Mupfumira for securing food and distributing it according to need in specific areas.

He said the weather was promising a good farming season that will see the boosting of food security.

President Mugabe said other sectors of the economy were also improving and there was some measure of satisfaction and happiness among the people.

“That’s the starting role. It’s to satisfy the needs of our people and to do this we have got to have in the country, peace and the security must be there with us,” he said.

The President called on delegates to unite and work towards achieving Zim-Asset goals.

“So, we have our Zim-Asset projects to work on, they must succeed and let us ensure that the project and programme succeed. The rain that we have been given, let us make use of it in order to ensure that province by province, we have succeeded through Zim-Asset, yes, but also individually as we must always do to carry out our agricultural programme successfully,” said President Mugabe.

“As we meet here and we get divided into groups, thematic committees, we expect that discussions will take place in those thematic committees and run quite deeply on various issues. We want at the end of the day as we assemble again tomorrow as we look at the results of the meetings, discussions and resolutions that we can collate and establish the views and be able to work out solutions based on them.”

President Mugabe said the country has vast resources to develop itself with and also urged discipline and integrity in conducting business.

“This culture of corruption, of kickbacks must stop. We must facilitate projects that grow our economy. We have Zim-Asset which lays all the parameters for our economic growth efforts,” he said.