LAST week Zimbabwe marked the first year after the July 31 watershed harmonised elections which saw President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF winning resoundingly against bitter rival Morgan Tsvangirai and his embattled MDC-T party.
ZANU PF scored a crushing victory against the MDC-T sweeping 1 493 out of
1 958 wards in the local authority elections, translating to over 76 percent dominance in local government countrywide. President Mugabe thumped MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai with 61, 09 percent of the valid votes cast to 33, 94 percent with ZANU PF clinching 160 seats out of the 210 National Assembly constituencies to garner a crushing 76 percent dominance.
In celebration of the victory, the President hosted a party at the State House last week.
The air was palpably positive as hundreds of guests from the country’s 10 provinces revelled in victory.
The event was attended by ZANU PF politburo members, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, service chiefs, captains of industry and traditional chiefs.
For the ZANU PF leadership it was not only time for celebrations, but also for introspection.
It was time to reflect on the past year versus what they had promised the electorate.
Are they on track or not?
Prior to harmonised elections, ZANU PF had promised the electorate that in the next years to 2018 it would have created two million jobs across key sectors of the economy.
The party said it would inject US$2 billion in agriculture in addition to committing a further US$3 billion into public infrastructure rehabilitation.
ZANU PF said its new government would channel US$300 million into small enterprises and sell off non performing State firms to unlock US$7, 6 billion. Furthermore the party said it would build
250 000 low-income housing units; 1 250 public houses and
2 500 shell factories; flea and vendor market stands would be created in the next five years.
ZANU PF’s indigenisation and empowerment initiatives outlined an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of nine percent by 2018 up from 4, 4 percent.
The party’s pledge last year that it would commit US$3 billion into public infrastructure rehabilitation has been realised as works to rehabilitate and construct public infrastructure are underway.
Government is expanding and rehabilitating power generation infrastructure, with the US$355 million expansion of the Kariba Power plant on course, while in Hwange, plans are advanced to rehabilitate generation units at the thermal power plant.
Expansion work on the Victoria Falls International Airport is also progressing well and expected to be complete by mid-next year.
The US$150 million project financed by a loan from Export-Import Bank of China entails the construction of a new four kilometre runway, a new international terminal building, new fire station, new control tower and installation of state-of-the art aviation specialist equipment.
The project is aimed at raising the airport’s passenger capacity from the current
500 000 up to about 1, 5 million annually, with the ability to accommodate long-haul aircrafts from abroad.
Furthermore, the party’s pledge to ensure food security has been realised.
In June this year, thousands of crop and livestock production farmers received a major boost from a US$2,4 billion agriculture fund to stimulate agricultural productivity.
This fund is a joint venture between a local organisation Lasch Enterprises and the ZANU PF Youth League.
The previous month the country received a US$100 million loan from Brazil targeted at empowering small-scale farmers.
Infant steps have been made towards improving social service delivery.
Among those to note is the improvement of the health delivery system, water reticulation and sewage system and housing development system.
The country recently made medical history when local surgeons successfully performed an operation to separate Siamese twins.
The successful operation signified how quick the country’s public health system was recovering.
Last week, the country made another health milestone as it is now equipped to perform hip replacement surgery following
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a partnership between local hospitals, the Zimbabwe Orthopaedic Surgeons Association and some American surgeons.
The country’s health sector was affected by a brain-drain and funding constraints over the past 14 years as the West’s illegal economic sanctions regime constrained Government’s capacity to fund the sector.On its promise to reduce the urban housing backlog by building 250 000 housing units by 2018, at least 10 000 low-cost houses have been constructed countrywide with 15 000 more units expected to be built by year-end.
Moreover early this year, Government secured a US$57 million loan from AFDB for rehabilitation of water and sewer systems.
The funds are meant for the rehabilitation of water supply and sewer systems in Chegutu, Kwekwe and Masvingo.
Harare has got its US$144 million water reticulation facility from the Chinese.
To maintain proficient, technologically competent among the populace, Government embarked on extensive information and communication technology centres programme.
The programme to be rolled out in the country’s 52 districts is expected to bridge the digital divide between urban centres and marginalised communities.
It is against this background that the barometer reads ZANU PF is on track towards delivering the promises made during the campaign.However, more needs to be done on employment creation, eliminating corruption, value addition and beneficiation of our idle mineral resources and establishment of the Harare Stock Exchange for exclusive participation by indigenous individuals.
The fulfilment of the promises would help the party resoundingly win the next elections in 2018.
It has to be all work and no play for ZANU PF, just as they went back to the people and won the July 31 2013 elections.