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Today marks the first day of 2021, a year of promise after 2020, the year that saw the Covid-19 pandemic stalling economic activities across the globe., However, despite the setbacks caused by the global pandemic Zimbabwe has done tremendously well in improving the welfare of people, our Political Editor Fungi Kwaramba interviewed the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa to hear how the Government fared in 2020, below are excerpts of the interview.

Q: The year has come to an end. How do you measure Government successes in improving the socio-economic situation?

The successes of Government in improving the socio-economic challenges in the country are there for everyone to see. The Second Republic inherited a collapsed economy characterised by hyperinflation, shortage of fuel, shortage of basic commodities, crumbling social infrastructure and vulnerable communities.

A cursory look at the current situation will show that all those socio-economic challenges are now a thing of the past. We no longer have fuel queues as the supply has stabilised.

The supply of basic commodities has drastically improved with local industries now supplying the bulk of products on the shelves of our supermarkets. Government stabilised the macro-economy and the financial sector.

It also dealt with unsustainable budget deficits, inflationary pressures, uncontrolled domestic borrowing and unsustainable debt levels.

Government also intervened to assist the disadvantaged members of society in the face of the crippling Covid-19 pandemic.

More safety nets were deployed to cushion civil servants and other commuters by availing affordable transport at a time when commuter omnibuses were increasing fares willy-nilly depending on the vagaries of weather. All these indications bear testimony to Government’s unquestionable success in improving the socio-economic situation in the country.

Q. Some three or four years ago, the country was grappling with shortages of some commodities this festive season but this year there is bountiful, what is the secret to success?

a: The secret to the success lies in how Government stabilised the economy through the following timely interventions:

l Banning EcoCash agents who were sponsoring the black-market foreign exchange supply, which significantly fuelled inflation in the country.

Introduction of the Foreign Currency Exchange Auction system, which ensured equitable distribution of foreign currency to those who need it. The auction system suffocated the black market and stabilised the foreign exchange rate, which in turn stabilised the prices of commodities and improved supply.

Government encouraged retailers to use the foreign exchange auction rate in their transactions, which kept the prices affordable to the populace.

The introduction of the local currency also ensured that all citizens have access to cash and allow them to easily transact.

Q: The country, from next year will be pursuing the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) which is building from the successes of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme, what does NDS1 seek to achieve?

A: NDS1 targets over 5 percent annual growth. This will be done through the creation of a thriving private sector led competitive economy, implementation of sound macro-economic policies anchored on fiscal discipline, monetary and financial sector stability, including an open business friendly environment, which promotes both foreign and domestic investment.

Q: We are pursuing Vision 2030, President Mnangagwa’s Vision to make the country an upper middle-class economy by 2030, what are the prospects for success?

A: Measuring by the successes of the Transitional Stabilisation Plan (TSP), the prospects are favourably high for the country to achieve the target of an upper middle-class economy by 2030. The TSP laid a firm foundation for the successful implementation of NDS1 and NDS2 that will usher us into an upper middle-income economy. The TSP also showed Government’s commitment and appetite to improve the economy.

Government demonstrated that it can cut its expenses and channel the saved money towards the improvement of infrastructure and meeting other development priorities. Government managed to contain the Public Wage Bill to below 50 percent of Government revenues.

For the first time in decades, Government is exclusively using locally mobilised resources to build roads, dams and other essential infrastructure for the benefit of our communities.

Q: On the political front, we have seen the country liberalising the broadcasting sector, when can we expect the new players to come in and what are the expectations from Government?

A: That question is better answered by the new broadcasting players. Government played its part by issuing the licences. What is left is for the licensees to now put infrastructure and start broadcasting. Section 11 (7) of the Broadcasting Services Act gives the new players 18 months to roll out their plans and go on air. So the ball is now in their court.

Q: The country has been implementing political reforms, can you share with us the successes so far?

A: A lot has been achieved in implementing political reforms by the Second Republic. So far, Government has aligned 75 percent of the laws to the Constitution. Among these alignments was the repealing of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that was replaced by the Freedom of Information Act.

AIPPA created a lot of acrimony between the media fraternity and Government. Its repeal opened up more democratic space.

Another notable political reform is the creation of the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) platform, which is an engagement platform that brings together Government and opposition political parties. Never has opposition political parties been allowed to have a say in the governance of the country. Polad give them a platform to contribute ideas towards the running of the country.

Q: Despite the Second Republic commitment to enacting reforms, there are some countries and sponsored parties that are throwing spanners into the whole exercise, what is your view on this?

A: It is unfortunate that some countries are turning a blind eye to several reforms introduced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa since he was elected to power. Some of these countries continue to call for reforms at a time Government has done well to institute far-reaching reforms.

However, these countries are entitled to their prejudiced opinions that are sadly informed by the bid to effect regime change in Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, Government will continue to enact more reforms for the benefit of its people and for the betterment of our country.

Q: The Western world still maintains sanctions on Zimbabwe, the motive seems more like removing the Zanu-PF Government, what are the measures that are being put in place to counter this anti-Zimbabwe stance and attempts to weaken the State through sponsored opposition parties?

A: President Emmerson Mnangagwa introduced a policy of re-engagement to reach out to all those countries that have taken hostile stances against Zimbabwe. The re-engagement policy is allowing the country to highlight the negative consequences of the illegal sanctions and also appeal for their immediate removal.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is seized with the matter and will continue to engage with all nations to create better relations.

As for the attempts to weaken the State through sponsored opposition parties or actors, Government has found it prudent to amend the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act to add a section that “criminalise the conduct of isolated citizens or groups who, for self-gain, co-operate or connive with hostile foreign governments to inflict suffering on Zimbabwean citizens and cause damage to national interests.”

We believe that the amendment would deter citizens from being used by foreign forces to weaken the State.

Q: The country has taken a toll from faked abductions and needless attempts to besmirch the name of the Second Republic, what are the concrete steps that are being taken to ensure patriotism and deter would-be perpetrators?

A: As I mentioned above, Government is amending the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act to criminalise actions that tarnish the image of the country. Similarly, Government is likely to infuse into the school curriculum, sections that inculcate patriotism into our children.

Most countries in the world train or teach patriotism to the youths before they are employed. Since the unpatriotic perpetrators are largely using cyber platforms to peddle hate against the country, Government has also crafted the Cyber Security and Data Protection Bill to safeguard against the use of the cyber infrastructure to taint the country’s image or invite harm against it.

The Bill promotes the safe use of the cyber media.

Q: Now let’s talk about the illegal sanctions, why is it international institutions such as the United Nations are not taking action when it is clear that these unilateral sanctions are designed to squeeze Zimbabwe even in their illegality?

A: There is a technicality that keeps the United Nations away from tackling the issue of illegal sanctions. Countries that imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe have packaged them in such a way that they appear as sovereign legal measures instituted to protect their foreign interests. The illegal sanctions are packaged as part of those countries’ foreign policy measures; hence the UN cannot interfere in the internal matters of those countries.

However, such matters can be dealt with once the UN Security Council is liberalised by creating a seat for the marginalised African continent. Once Africa gets a seat in the Security Council it will be able to oppose the use of unilateral sanctions against UN member states.

Q: The threat posed in Mozambique by insurgents there, we have seen misleading reports in some sections of the media about the country’s position on the matter.

A: Zimbabwe’s position on events happening in neighbouring states, including the reported insurgency in Mozambique, is always guided by the position taken by the regional Sadc group. That is why you have seen President Mnangagwa taking part in several meetings hosted by Sadc to interrogate the matter and possibly come up with a collective position on how to handle the matter.

Q: The year could have been a horror year because of Covid-19, may you share with us how Government managed to contain this pandemic which has wrecked bigger economies world over.

A: President Mnangagwa managed to curb the spread of Covid-19 by introducing effective pre-emptive measures in March 2020 that successfully slowed down the spread of the scourge.

The President introduced a national lockdown when the country had only five confirmed cases of Covid-19 and a single death. The lockdown was made more successful by the deployment of security agents who enforced the Covid-19 World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations.

The measures were successful because they eliminated the gathering of people and also ensured that people were sanitised before entering offices or shops. Zimbabwe also became one of the first few countries to make the wearing of face masks mandatory. This played a bigger role in eliminating chances of spreading the deadly disease.

Q: Your impressions on the media in Zimbabwe, the polarisation, what does the future hold?

A: The media has been called the Fourth Estate, this more from the important role it has assumed in statecraft and nation building. We are obliged as Government working with the media to ensure that the nation moves in unison as one entity, such that at the end of the day everyone plays their role in ensuring that this national goal is realised.

That national responsibility or rather obligation to ensure that there is a shared national vision for the common good of everyone lies squarely on the shoulders of those that are gathered here.

Government is the main source of the information of where the nation is going, meanwhile the media with your communication capacity and capabilities, you have the platforms and skills to inform and galvanise the nation to that end.

This calls for close collaboration between Government and the media as well as unity of purpose in the media industry in pursuit of the national interest. It is my wish that sooner rather than later, there shall come a day when there is no reference to public or private press, but there is a Zimbabwean press which tows the national flag in pursuit of our common goals.

Zimbabwe’s ability to create wealth for its people hinges on how much all of us can contribute to the improvement of our national competitiveness in an anarchic world characterised by a vicious competition between states.