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Lovemore Chikova-Development Dialogue

There are good reasons why the New Dispensation’s focus on an accelerated rural development programme is right on point and will eventually contribute to the uplifting of the majority in the outlying areas.

In fact, these huge steps on rural revitalisation are an important aspect towards the achievement of Vision 2030, which entails attaining an upper middle income economy.

By focusing on the rural areas, President Mnangagwa has made it clear that the aim is to take everyone out of poverty, leaving no one and no place behind.

The Second Republic’s approach makes all sense in development terms, considering that the majority of Zimbabweans continue to live in the rural areas, and will do so for a very long time to come.

Instituting rural developmental programmes means that the government is targeting the majority of the population and delivering services and amenities to them.

Once the majority are out of poverty, it means the country will be on a high level of its potential to eliminate poverty in the whole country and thus achieve its main goal of an upper middle income economy.

Through the devolution programme, the government has been identifying poor areas and the causes of such poverty and then addressing their needs.

In doing so, there should be consideration of such issues as housing, education, health, energy, food, agriculture and agro-business.

A prospering rural area would mean the harnessing of rural to urban migration, in the process addressing issues such as unemployment, housing shortages, sanitation, health challenges and food inadequacy that characterise some urban areas. 

Addressing developmental needs of rural areas ultimately results in the elimination of poverty among the majority of the populace.

This elimination of poverty will ultimately contribute to the country’s income status improving, thereby having a net effect on achieving Vision 2030.

The major focus in addressing the rural backwardness has been on tackling poverty, inequality, hunger, diseases, unemployment, transport and communication and rural industrialisation.

There are challenges of inadequate infrastructure and technology that have to be addressed in addition to the implementation of other programmes to uplift the rural areas.

In implementing all these developmental programmes, the aim should be on ensuring that rural areas contribute to the national developmental agenda and play a part in partaking in the gains of economic development.

It has been clear that in Zimbabwe and in many other emerging economies, most of the people affected by development challenges are those who reside in the outlying areas.

This is mainly because of the segregation that was being practiced through colonialism, which ensured that the locals were pushed to inhabitable lands, while the colonialists apportioned themselves fertile lands.

On the other hand, the colonialists concentrated more on developing urban areas where almost all of them resided.

The result was that while urban areas were being equipped with the necessities of life, rural areas were sinking deeper into poverty characterised by lack of amenities and other necessary infrastructure. 

With many Africans relying on agriculture, the racist policies applied by the whites meant that this source of livelihood was difficult to sustain on infertile lands where the locals were pushed.

As a result, the major problem that confronted newly independent states in Africa was centred on how to ensure rural areas are uplifted to be at par with urban areas in terms of development.

In fact, many countries on the continent are still struggling to balance out this colonial legacy, which has seen an increase in rural to urban migration as rural dwellers seek opportunities.

The migration from rural areas has even threatened to worsen the situation as young, able-bodied people are the ones most likely to leave in search of fortunes in urban areas.

This leaves a huge labour deficit in the rural areas.

Unfortunately, the fortunes being sought after in urban areas always prove hard to come by, considering that towns and cities are already burdened with pressures of their own.

Just like any other developing country, the situation has been replicating itself in Zimbabwe where rural to urban migration has been the norm.

But this unsustainable status quo is undergoing immense questioning, especially with the Second Republic giving more focus on rural development.

The ultimate being to bring equitable development for both urban and rural areas, and making sure that people can get all they need in their areas of origin, whether rural or urban.

For instance, there will be no need for people from Masvingo to seek supplementary food from other provinces when they have the biggest dam in the country in Tokwe-Mukosi, with additional small dams dotted around the province.

In Matabeleland North, problems that have been affecting communities like drought should be a thing of the past once the gigantic Lake Gwayi-Shangani comes online, with construction works now at an advanced stage.

The developments being undertaken in the various parts of rural areas throughout the country should give rise to rural industrialisation, especially as agricultural products are harnessed for raw materials.

This means there should be a renewed focus on rural service centres, otherwise known as growth points, to ensure that they have the necessary amenities ready for take off.

In fact, rural development gained prominence in Zimbabwe following the advent of the New Dispensation in 2017, with President Mnangagwa at the helm.

The devolution programme has resulted in construction and upgrading of facilities in the rural areas in a bid to take them to the level of those in urban areas.

After instituting these various projects, which include construction to dams, roads, clinics, hospitals and schools, promoting rural vitalisation is now on a pedestal.

This goal can be realised through the establishment of rural industries and provision of agricultural technologies.

Those following developments on the development arena can testify that there has been a lot of movement in these areas meant to shift the mentality of those dwelling in the rural areas.

President Mnangagwa made this point clear while commissioning the Marula/Mapfura Processing and Value-Addition Factory built by the National Biotechnology Authority of Zimbabwe at Rutenga Growth Point last year.

 “Our national vision of a prosperous and empowered upper middle income economy by 2030 entails uplifting the people in every part of our great country, in particular those in rural areas and growth points,” he said.

This shows that vitalisation of rural areas and making rural people prosperous is a goal that the Second Republic has set, and this goal is being achieved. 

Many rural areas in Zimbabwe have unique resource advantages that can be exploited for agriculture and the acceleration of the establishment of rural industries.

These resources can help easily bring rural people at the centre of the country’s development matrix, allowing them to play an important role in determining the prosperity trajectory. 

It is important to note that agriculture remains key in solving the imbalanced and inadequate development that characterises rural areas.

In fact, the inequality in development between urban areas and rural areas is an expression of major social inequalities.

Despite how the economy progresses and the presence of rural to urban migration, the majority of Zimbabweans will still continue to live in the rural areas, and this is a fact.

These will continue to depend on agriculture as their main vocation to make a living.

This means that agriculture has to be strengthened since it has a direct effect on the quality of development and modernisation of the country.

This is where institutions like the recently rebranded Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) come in to ensure that rural people are empowered agriculturally.

This empowerment can easily lead to value addition and beneficiation of agricultural products right in the rural areas, which means finished products can actually be churned out from the far-flung areas for the benefit of the local communities and even for export. 

It is most welcome that ARDA is already working on intensifying its rural development mandate as it seeks to uplift the livelihoods of communities in remote areas, enabling them to contribute immensely to the growth of the country’s economy.

The authority has already revived several big irrigation schemes in various parts of the country like Bubi-Lupane Irrigation Scheme in Matabeleland North and Bulawayo Kraal in Binga in the same province.

ARDA is already a centre of excellence, with its estates strewn across the country being turned into agricultural demonstration centres set to impart knowledge and technology to rural farmers.

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