PRESIDENT Emmerson Mangagwa yesterday attributed his
administration’s failure to contain the raging economic crisis to sanctions and
lack of global financing.
Officially opening the Sixth Africa Regional Forum on
Sustainable Development in Victoria Falls yesterday, Mnangagwa said his
government had a Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)-driven development
agenda, which could see the country’s economy booming had it not been for the
effects of sanctions imposed and maintained by Western powers for 20 years.
He also said Africa was failing to successfully implement
SDG programmes due to lack of international funding.
“Zimbabwe’s 2030 vision directly addresses the aspirations
highlighted by the SDGs and African Union’s agenda 2063. My government has
recognised the need to give greater responsibility and autonomy to provinces so
as to take the SDGs to the people with the view to implement locally driven
initiatives,” Mnangagwa said.
“The integration of SDGs into local development initiatives,
therefore, enhances the development agenda at grassroots level which will
empower our attainment of SDGs. This is aimed at attaining convergence of
national priorities and SDGs implementation. However, the illegal and
unjustified economic sanctions continue to impede the speed with which we
attain SDGs.”
He also claimed sanctions were hampering his re-engagement
efforts through which he hoped to mend relations with the West.
“In the case of Zimbabwe, we remain fully committed to
implement political, economic and legislative reforms. As one of our tools for
engagement and re-engagement, we are determined to see through the IMF
[International Monetary Fund] Staff-Monitored Programme, which supports our
reform agenda as well as the achievement of the associated reform targets,”
Mnangagwa said.
“In doing this, however, it should be understood that we
are undertaking the reforms without the requisite external financial support as
is the norm. It is regrettable that the funding gap for SDGs in Africa remains
low and weighs down on the attainment of SDGs in Africa.”
He took a swipe at United Nations-affiliated international
wildlife organisation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
for preventing Zimbabwe and other African countries from trading in live
animals despite sterling conservation efforts.
Coincidentally, UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed,
who is also attending the symposium, went on a game drive in the vast Hwange
National Park soon after her arrival in the country on Saturday last week.
“I implore you not to go back to your capitals without
seeing the big five (five most iconic animals in Zimbabwe), in particular
elephants, which we have effectively managed by minimising human-wildlife
conflicts inspite of the ongoing unwarranted opposition by some in distant
quarters to our rights to trade in our wildlife which we keep, which they
weren’t able to keep,” Mnangagwa said.
The symposium brings together over 3 000 delegates from all
over the continent to deliberate on the best way forward in terms of
implementation of SDGs.Newsday
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