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The Government is making efforts to rehabilitate roads, starting with major arteries like the Harare-Bulawayo highway

Muchadura Dube Correspondent
THE nation of Zimbabwe celebrates 35 years of independence with a broad smile with numerous milestones having been achieved to date. The satisfaction of independence which had primarily political dimensions has been ornamented with economic liberty, the phenomenon of political and economic freedom giving rise to a solid and truly liberated African country.

Zimbabwe having been blessed with the visionary leadership of President Mugabe is in a class of its own as it has managed to regain and repossess the once stolen and looted land and natural resources by erstwhile colonisers led by the racist British establishment who continue to throw spanners in the country’s quest for expanding the horizon of its citizenry empowerment.

It is a pity that the British still have that big ego and exploitative nostalgia which haunts them to this day and from the analysis generated; this shocking reality on their part seems to be ingrained in their thought processes. With sanctions having been countered by strong pragmatic response of the Government which encompassed the authoring and application of the economic panacea in the form of the economic blueprint, the Zim-Asset whose thrust is the judicious exploitation of locally available resources with the expectation of financial windfalls that emanate from such a venture benefiting the local populace.

The unity of purpose of Zimbabweans has been the reason behind the current signs of a robust economic revival which the Zimbabwean economy is undergoing.

It might sound incredible for anyone to believe the narrative which this writer is proffering that the economy is on the rebound.

Of course it is, depending on the yardstick the economic observer is using.

The template which one is using is likely to produce the likely outcome of their preferred analysis.

The problem has been the daily dosage of falsehoods on the state of the economy from some local dailies that thrive on controversy and outright lies as a way of satisfying their imperialistic funders.

These daily anti-Mugabe mouthpieces have a poor reading of the economy, am not sure if they have a basic understanding of the terrain of economics currently obtaining in Zimbabwe.

Probably they were caught off guard by Cde Patrick Chinamasa, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development’s accurate observation that there is a new economy which has eclipsed and ultimately replaced the old economy.

The old economy was a preserve of the former settler farmer represented by the then large-scale commercial farmer who is still grieving after the restoration of the land to its rightful owners, the black majority.

The new economy has the new resettled farmer at its core, the more than 350 000 households who are proud beneficiaries of their land playing a pivotal role. The various empowerment schemes will certainly add value to the new economy. Any explanation that places the new economy to the periphery can only be an analysis of the nation’s detractors which seeks as usual to implant the usual message of despondency. The new economy which is dominated by the black majority represents the present and the future.

President Mugabe on his recent state visit to South Africa told excited journalists that the minerals which Zimbabwe has are more important than the capital, explaining that capital only plays an important role to complement the available abundant resources.

The essence of his assertion was that with the majority having the lion’s share of the economy, stability and peace which are a critical part of Zimbabwe’s body politic will be perpetually enjoyed.

The new economy also incorporates the bustling informal sector which is a key feature of the enterprising locals who are their own employers, creating a generation of wealth originators who have the potential to take the economy to another level.

Zimbabwe will be celebrating its independence on the backdrop of massive upgrade in the infrastructure, health sector and education sector.

These are economic enablers, which anchor the economy with utilities and skills for the execution of the jobs. Currently, Zimbabwe is the most literate nation in Africa and is poised to remain afloat at that apex position given the heavy financial and human resources injection into that sector.

Zimbabwe’s health sector has churned out graduates and experienced personnel who have helped the region’s health care systems to be in the current robust state.

The current revitalisation and rejuvenation of the country’s major highways will ensure that internal trade and trade in the region and beyond is undertaken without hindrances. Zimbabwe is centrally located hence the entire region blossoms economically if the country’s infrastructure is in a sound state.

With the infrastructure being subjected to major uplifts, there is an expected surge in the tourism industry, a sector which has the potential to generate millions of dollars for the economy.

There are a lot of untapped tourist sites in Zimbabwe with potential to add impetus to the ongoing economic regeneration.

If there is one aspect which Zimbabweans enjoy on an unlimited scale, it is the peace and political stability which the country has enjoyed since the advent of independence. Zimbabwe has been at the forefront of resolution of conflict in the various trouble spots in the region and Africa.

The country’s security system is renowned for its proficiency and efficiency. The security system has been consistent in its mandate of delivering peace to the nation. When there is peace, all developmental initiatives will progress without difficulties. Peace is a prerequisite for development hence it’s a necessity in the discourse of national development. Zimbabweans are fortunate, they have it, if ever it could be quantified, it could be aptly termed overflowing.

Lest some forget, the country’s independence was not availed on a silver platter.

A protracted war of liberation which saw dedicated sons and daughters of the soil lose life and limb as they gallantly fought the protracted war of liberation.

We can only wish Zimbabwe and her people happy 35th independence celebrations.