Zimpapers Logo

Ambassador Mavimbela

Victoria Ruzvidzo Business Focus
That the international community, led by the African Union, the United Nations Development Programme and individual countries such as South Africa and Namibia have endorsed the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation blueprint is a positive, encouraging and instructive sign.

By virtue of the interdependence of our economies in the Sadc region, on the continent and even on the global stage, these institutions and countries would naturally have a keen interest in developments here.

The explicit support by many and the tacit support from some of our development partners should spur us to greater action with even more confidence for we do not operate in isolation.

Only a few weeks after it came onto the scene, Zim Asset has already given hope to many while eliciting interest from local and international investors that this economy is not a lost cause at all.

The African Union has bought into the programme and has pledged assistance to ensure that Zim Asset becomes an example to other African countries.

The words by the AU representative and head of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Agency’s Agriculture Development Programme Mr Martin Bwalya are worth reflecting on.

“It (Zim Asset) is a very important document and its very clear and you can tell the country has taken time to think through and actually committed to make a difference. That is one thing you see very clearly.

“Its not just the planning, but the commitment to make a difference and it is clear about what results we want to deliver.

“This is something we support, not just to show Zimbabwe, but the rest of the continent that it can be done and here is an example.”

His choice of words shows that the AU has bought into the programme and has taken ownership as well. This is as it should be.

The AU is also excited about the Results Based Management approach which Mr Bwalya described as an unusual stance by Government. In the past, such approaches were common in the private sector, but not in Government.

Only this week, the Namibian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Malawi and Madagascar Ms Balbina Daes Pienaar said her country was quite supportive of Zim Asset, an economic blueprint that would consolidate co-operation between the two countries.

“It is quite impressive to see how dedicated, how committed the Zimbabwean Government is. The recently launched economic blueprint called Zim Asset is such a beautiful tool, creating a conducive economic environment and now it’s the time for us as friends, as sisters to the Government to extend a hand of cooperation,” she said.

Zimbabwe and Namibia have been buddies for a long time and have been working together on the Hwange Thermal Power station, among other projects.

Indeed the two countries are rich as stated by Ms Pienaar. Zim Asset will help Zimbabwe unearth riches in its belly.

A week ago South Africa weighed in with its support stressing that our northern neighbour would play its part to ensure the programme succeeded.

This would leverage the strong economic ties between the two countries. SA is Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner. Trade between the two reached US$6 billion in 2012, up from US$4,6 billion in 2011.

The figures do not include smuggled goods that have found their way in either markets which account for a significant amount of money.

“Zimbabwe has just come up with a new programme for economic development (Zim Asset) and the programmer must be communicated.

So we were saying to the Minister (Prof Moyo), we want and we can play a role to help communicate the development of Zimbabwe until its economy becomes a success,” said Ambassador Vusi Mavimbela.

Prof Moyo was in the company of his deputy Cde Supa Mandiwanzira.

Mr Mavimbela said South Africa and Zimbabwe had close economic relations hence his country was interested in the success of the economic blueprint.

“That issue is close to the heart of the people of South Africa because the strong and close economic ties we have with Zimbabwe,” he said.

The past few years have seen Zimbabwe import products such as foodstuffs, clothes, electrical and information and communication technology products at much higher levels due largely to the ailing local manufacturing sector.

Of course challenges have been experienced in that market, particularly relating to immigration issues and xenophobic attacks, but the two countries have a solid economic and political relationship from which Zim Asset can benefit and also augment.

Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President Dr Ray Ndhlukula this week said Government was in discussion with UNDP to align the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (Zundaf) with Zim Asset.

Zundaf is a UN strategic programme to support national development priorities and the achievement of Millenium Development Goals.

Therefore, as stated by Dr Ndhlukula, its only logical that it aligns with Zim Asset to ensure congruency in implementation.

Zundaf was supposed to last until 2015 while Zim Asset is running until 2018, This demands an adjustment of the former’s time-frame and modus operandi where necessary.

The interest demonstrated so far should give impetus to Zim Asset. Already its provision are indicative of the fact that it could actually be the best and most practical economic programme that this country has ever launched.

The fact that it has borrowed from other previous economic blue prints imply that it is solid and relevant to the challenges the economy has experienced over the past few years.

The accent should always be on implementation, without which we will not derive the results we desire. The success of any programme, whether corporate or national, judged purely by results and not rhetoric.

I am enthralled by the emphasis on delivery inherent in Zim Asset, which somewhat got obscured in previous programmes.
One cannot do the same things over and over again and expect different results. Some would even say that’s the definition of madness.

Critical too is the need to ensure understanding of the programme by a broad spectrum of our population. Its publication in vernacular language could help the majority understand the economic blueprint for a buy-in.

Charity begins at home and so too does support.  Zim Asset is primarily designed to ameliorate our challenges and provide a platform to become as competitive and as progressive as we can be. This requires a buy-in at all levels.

Anything to the contrary would be counter-productive, clearly foolish and without doubt myopic and unpatriotic.

Any management practitioner or student for that matter would or should be aware that in implementation there might be more often than not a need to refine, fine-tune or adjust for no war plan lasts a battle but in Zim Asset we have the guideline.
In God I trust!

• For feedback email [email protected]