PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has hailed the role played by
Zimbabweans in the diaspora towards growing the domestic economy and implored
them to increase their participation through investments.
He was addressing Zimbabweans living in South Africa during
a dinner hosted by the Zimbabwe Diaspora Federation after his arrival in Cape
Town ahead of the World Economic Forum on Africa which starts here today.
President Mnangagwa said while many critics doubted that
interventions by Government to rebalance the economy for sustainable growth
will pay dividends, it required those with vision, will and determination, to
support the efforts.
He invited the diasporans across the world to participate
in all key sectors of the economy and use the skills gained in economies that
are bigger and better than Zimbabwe to help rebuild the country.
“As a Government, we recognise and appreciate the
contributions you as Zimbabweans continue to make towards the growth of our
economy, through remittances and general support to country,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said diasporans have also contributed
immensely towards alleviating the plight of people affected by the effects of
Cyclone Idai in parts of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces, adding Government
was overwhelmed by their level of support.
“You in the diaspora have a huge role to play in our quest
to become an upper middle income economy by 2030. It is therefore incumbent upon you to harness
your individual and collective potential to help the modernisation,
industrialisation, and economic growth of our country,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said over the years Zimbabwe has
suffered economic stagnation and stunted growth due to the illegal economic
sanctions.
“As such, the skills, competencies, as well as networks you
have gained while on these foreign lands must be utilised to leapfrog and drive
our development agenda,” he said.
The President also bemoaned the xenophobic violence that
has engulfed South Africa and said South African authorities needed to take
strong, punitive actions against the perpetrators, if the problem was to be
contained.
“I have no doubt that the authorities here will not fold
hands, they must bring sanity and to do so they must apply a bit of force,” he
said.
South Africans, mainly in Johannesburg and Pretoria, have
unleashed violence on foreign nationals since Sunday night.
Most of their business have been looted and burnt in the
chaos. The President said diasporans must promote the country’s
tourism products through marketing places such as Victoria Falls, Great
Zimbabwe monuments, the Eastern Highlands and the diverse wildlife.
He said his administration had adopted a raft of policy
reforms to improve the country’s macro-economic environment, adopted zero
tolerance on corruption and was also working to improve service delivery. “The
reform of parastatals, will see the privatisation of some and the bundling of
others into strategic units and commercial entities. We invite Zimbabweans
living in South Africa with access to capital to seize these opportunities
availed by the reform initiatives,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said to ensure that no one is left
behind in the development, the Government had adopted devolution, as provided
for in the Constitution. He also said Government was working on a framework to
establish a unit within the registrar’s office to look into proposals and
concerns of people living in the diaspora, which includes voting.
This would encourage development to be initiated and
supported from ward, district and provincial levels. Further, he said growth of
industries would be supported through small enterprises, start-ups and
entrepreneurial activities.
To this end, the President said the Government had recently
launched the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy, which seeks to
enhance performance and competitiveness of local manufacturers. President
Mnangagwa said monetary policy reforms were envisaged to result in robust,
market-based exchange rate stability, contained inflation and greater
confidence in the economy.
He said other initiatives such as the Zimbabwe Investment
Authority, legislative reforms to align new laws with the Constitution and
repealing of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, will further
support economic turnaround.
President Mnangagwa said in view of the adverse effects of
some of Government’s reform measures, the Government had put in place various
safety nets to protect and cushion the vulnerable. “More safety nets will be
rolled out as we go forward. Corruption is a vice that we must permanently weed
out of out society,” he said. “We are determined to continue all forms of
corruption at every level. The reconfigured (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption
Commission) ZACC and other institutions that help fight corruption must be seen
in this light,” the President said. Herald
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