EDITOR – I WRITE as a citizen who is concerned about the socio-economic development of my country Zimbabwe.
It is not a secret that while our economy has been hamstrung by the effects of the illegal sanctions, there is need for us to breed homegrown solutions to the economic challenges facing our beloved Zimbabwe.
I am happy that the new economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET) provides answers to economic problems in our country.
But implementation of Zim Asset must now become a reality that uplifts the livelihoods of Zimbabweans.
For us to achieve that we need to unite as a nation.
We need to nurture a culture of tolerance so that we see the fruits of this economic policy.
I am encouraged by the fact that President Mugabe has emphasised on the need to get maximum value from our resources through beneficiation.
Reforms in the mining sector are urgently required so that we benefit from our resources.
The enforcement of local beneficiation of minerals particularly gold, diamonds and platinum, a key feature of Zim Asset must now be done as a matter of urgency.
The same must also apply to other sectors of the economy particularly agriculture.
Editor, it is known that our industries can only begin to operate at full capacity if we are producing enough raw materials in the farms.
It is my hope that we will unite as a nation to fully implement Zim-ASSET.

Yours truly
Wekwa Chinyika