Team ZANU-PF Outlines Policy Efforts in Zimbabwe

Banner for Team ZANU-PF, the ruling party in the Southern African state of Zimbabwe. President Mugabe is illustrated on the banner., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Zanu-PF’s master stroke

Sunday, 20 October 2013 00:06
Sunday Mail Reporters

Team Zanu-PF has come up with a two-phased policy document whose first phase of implementation starts this month until 2015 while the second phase will begin in 2016 up to 2018, as the revolutionary party implements strategies to improve social services, physical infrastructure, food security and value addition in line with comprehensive efforts to grow the economy.

In terms of the Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-Economic Transformation (ZIMASET) policy document, which was adopted by the Zanu-PF Politburo last week, a two-phased implementation matrix with quick win solutions will be implemented between now and 2018.

Once the plan is implemented, the economy is projected to grow by an average of 7.3 percent. The economy is expected to grow by 3, 4 percent this year and 6, 1 percent next year. The growth is also expected to reach 9, 9 percent by 2018.

Mining, agriculture, transport, tourism, information communication technology, enhanced support for small and medium scale enterprises as well as infrastructural sectors primarily focusing on power generation have been identified as key drivers for the projected growth targets.

Authorities say the imlementation of the plan will depend on “key success factors”. The factors are strong collaborative partnerships among Government agencies, the private sector, citizens and other stakeholders; total commitment and the strong desire to meet the people’s expectations and the continued use of the multi-currency regime to consolidate macroeconomic stabilisation.

They also include the introduction of Special Economic Zones; value addition and beneficiation in productive sectors such as mining and agriculture; the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund; the rehabilitation, upgrading and development of key infrastructure and utilities comprising power generation, roads, rail, aviation and water and the institutionalisation of the Results Based Management (RBM) system across the public sector, among others.

In the first phase of implementation, Government is expected to undertake key capital projects and social interventions across the various sectors of the economy that are expected to spur the country towards an unprecedented economic growth trajectory while improving the lives of the economically vulnerable.

The implementation of the policy will be directed by delivery on identified targets by the four identified ministerial clusters.

The policy’s long-term objectives include the initiation of vast multi-billion dollar capital infrastructural development and value addition projects. State hospital staff will now be evaluated through quarterley patient satisfaction surveys. The Government also targets to dedicate at least 15 percent of all National Budget allocations to health in line with internation best practices.

Value addition in various economic sectors will unlock US$5 billion worth of revenue from international trade annually.

The Food Security and Nutrition cluster, which will be driven by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development and the Ministry of Health and Child Care has the immediate task of providing food relief to areas facing food shortages.

The cluster will also immediately set up a concessionary funding facility at Agribank.

“Quick wins to be implemented within the Food Security and Nutrition cluster include the following: intensification of collection of maize from Zambia and distribution to needy provinces.

“Initiating a programme of rehabilitation of irrigation equipment and adopting low-cost mechanisation programmes.”

The policy document proposes the immediate revamping of operations of the State Procurement Board in order to ensure efficient use of public funds under the auspices of the social services and poverty reduction cluster.

The procurement of water treatment chemicals will be prioritised. Government will also clear all its outstanding debts owed to the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe and procure new essential hospital equipment.

The Infrastructure and Utilities cluster will with immediate effect work to complete the construction of seven dams across the country. The cluster is also tasked with powering all Government buildings through solar before 2015 while also stabilising the power situation in the country.

“Quick wins to be implemented within the Infrastructure and Utilities cluster include the following: Undertake a national blitz to rehabilitate water supplies and sewerage systems, roads, health facilities and schools in all urban centres.

“Urgently attend to various infrastructure projects and maintenance such as trunk and feeder roads through funding from central Government or Public-Private Partnerships.

“Ensuring the completion of water projects under construction such as Tokwe-Mukorsi, Gwayi Shangani, Semwa, Bindura, Dande, Tuli-Manyange dams and Mtshabezi Water Pipeline.

“Prioritising the construction and maintenance of Government buildings including the new Parliament.”

The group of ministries under the Value Addition and Beneficiation cluster will, with immediate effect, instigate the full operationalisation of the Chisumbanje Ethanol and New-Zimbabwe Steel projects.

Government will also establish diamond-cutting and polishing centres during the first phase of the policy’s implementation.

Economic analyst Mr Brains Muchemwa said it was important for Government to implement the policy in its entirety.

“The document is wonderful. It was well-crafted on paper. It looks good, but the challenge now is it needs to be implemented so that the country benefits from such brilliant ideas,” he said.

He said economic issues must go beyond politics and urged Government to come up with long term policies.

“The Government also needs to come up with long-term policies which can supersede electoral timelines,” he said.

Another economist, Mr Kingstone Kanyile, told The Sunday Mail that the document was good because it focuses on value addition, infrastructure development, food security and social services and poverty reduction.

“Honestly, the document is perfect. What we need in this country is value addition. We are exporting jobs to South Africa when we export raw platinum,” he said. We are exporting jobs when we export our tobacco without value addition. We are growing the Belgian economy when we sell them raw diamonds because we are selling them at around one-fifth of the polished diamond. So, the document is spot-on,” he said.
He said it was high time locals benefitted from the country’s resources and got an opportunity to grow the economy.

“When we talk about indigenisation, let us grow our own economy as Zimbabweans. Foreigners will not grow our economy; they come to loot and grow their economies in their respective countries.”