Martha Leboho Masvingo Correspondent
Minister of State for Masvingo Province Senator Josaya Hungwe has dismissed reports that the province is one of the most impoverished in Zimbabwe.
He said poverty must not be judged measuring agricultural production only. Speaking during the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development Report Validation workshop in Masvingo yesterday, Senator Hungwe said that the consultant who made the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC) report should look at other economic factors in measuring poverty.
“I deny the statistics of ZIMVAC report of 2017, which states that Matebeleland North is the most impoverished province, followed by Masvingo Province and Manicaland being the third. This is because we cannot measure poverty by agriculture only. There are other sectors which should be considered in the measuring of this poverty,” he said. Sen Hungwe said Government is equipped with projects and programmes that would alleviate poverty in Zimbabwe.
“Moreover, the new era is upon us, all on the wheel, as Government is now actively pursuing programmes that have low-hanging fruits, programmes that raise the quality of life for our people within the shortest possible time.
“Let’s hit the ground running as we jump-start the country’s economy through programmes that have quick wins. Government wants to see all Zimbabweans regardless of race or creed having a high quality of life, hence it has seen it fit to pursue practical grass root policies,” he said.
Sen Hungwe urged the people to work hard in the fight against corruption. “The Government is keen to revitalise the economy by adopting and implementing inclusive policies and strategies that call for hard work and fighting corruption. It also emphasises on sustainability and climate-smart approaches in the exploitation of natural resources.
“Value addition and beneficiation are the buzzwords these days, so let us value add our local resources,” he said. He said the OPEC Fund programme targeted servicing whole value chains.
“It will emphasise enhanced agricultural practices while promoting market-led approaches to crop and animal production,” he said.
Masvingo is one of the three provinces in Zimbabwe benefiting from the $8,3 million donated by OPEC countries for poverty alleviation. The programme is targeting three main projects, which are livestock, value addition and savings and credit associations. Addressing the same meeting, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development deputy director Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya said the project helps people to be manufacturers not product consumers.
“We encourage people to be manufacturers, that is, if we can produce guavas from Bikita District, we should also be able to produce guava juice than to wait for trucks to loot guavas here and buy juices from Harare,” he said.
Beneficiaries are also provided with buildings, stockfeeds, machinery equipment and raw materials. The projects are provided for through loans from Government, which requires registration of a company or co-operative as a prerequisite. There should also be an ongoing project, which will be used as security for repayment pur- poses.
Beneficiaries for livestock and value addition projects will receive $50 000 in form of material for the project, while SACCO beneficiaries will get $10 000 cash for their projects. Funds for the projects would be disbursed in January next year.