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Political Editor
ZIMBABWE is on the cusp of greatness with the construction of a new Parliament building being a symbol of the Second Republic’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law, President Mnangagwa has said.

This follows his tour on Monday of the new Parliament building which is nearing completion in Mt Hampden, as well as his visit to the site where the memorial statue of the revered Mbuya Nehanda will be hoisted in Harare’s central business district.

Posting on micro-blogging platform Twitter yesterday, the President said Zimbabweans must take pride in the country’s institutions and assured the nation that in the march forward no one will be left behind.

“Our new Parliament building will be a symbol of our commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Zimbabwe may not be an old democracy but we are proud of our institutions of government and our belief that all Zimbabweans should have a say in the running of our country,” said the President.

On the construction of the statue for the iconic First Chimurenga war heroine Mbuya Nehanda, the President, whose Government has pledged to honour more of the country’s heroes and heroines through immortalising their legacy in sculpture and history, said it was important to tell the Zimbabwean story for the benefit of both present and future generations.

“The construction of the monument in honour of Mbuya Nehanda is nearing completion. It is vital that we show to our children and grandchildren that Zimbabwe has a rich history of heroes that fought for our freedom,” he said.

The Second Republic, under the visionary leadership of President Mnangagwa, is currently pursuing Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-class economy, with the recent budget presentation by Finance Minister and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube focussing more on infrastructural development projects such as dam and road construction.

To this end, the President said when it comes to national development, no one should be left behind. He said there was need for the country to pull in one direction to reach its full potential.

“Zimbabwe is on the brink of greatness, but we can only achieve it if we fight for it together.”

The budget for the coming year is built on the gains of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) of the last two years and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), that aims at an average economic growth of 5 percent in the next five years and employment creation.

This multi-pronged approach of the strategies is designed to see Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans become wealthier, with everyone able to participate and no one, even the most vulnerable, left behind.

Recently, the highly respected Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) ranked the Zimbabwe Government among countries with the most improved governance system in Africa in a 10-year survey.

The IIAG assesses governance performance in 54 African countries over the latest available 10-year period, providing a framework and dashboard to assess the delivery of public goods and services and public policy outcomes in African countries.

According to its latest report Zimbabwe, which is undergoing rapid transformation under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, is ranked 33rd with a percentage score of 46 percent, +7.4 improvement during the 2010 to 2019, it is among the five most improved African countries over the past decade.

Zimbabwe recorded improvements in the categories of Human Development; Foundations for Economic Development and Security and Rule of Law.

This comes as the Second Republic has been entrenching far-reaching political and economic reforms that have seen the opening of the airwaves as was witnessed when six new television stations were licensed, while on the economic front the New Dispensation is hard at work on various infrastructural development projects such as dam and road construction.

So far, the President has presided over the commissioning of dams in different parts of the country such as Marovanyathi in Buhera, power generation projects in Hwange, the road constructions as well as the reopening of parts of Chipinge and Chimanimani which were ravaged by Cyclone Idai a year ago.