THE most critical aspect of the massive reforms being undertaken by Government to revive the country’s economy is that those at the forefront of this noble drive are infused with the spirit that drove Zimbabweans to take up arms to dismantle the shackles of colonialism.
With Zimbabwe poised for a major economic take-off reminiscent of the period soon after the war of liberation, the main task confronting the Government has been to get rid of the cancer of corruption, incompetence and a bloated civil service, widely criticised for not complementing efforts of the country’s leadership.
With post-war reconstruction and redressing the racial imbalances of the colonial economy having been successfully completed through the Land Reform and Resettlement and the ongoing Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Programmes, responding to the needs of the population now tops the errands confronting the Government.
An economy under the blanket from the enervating effects of the Western imposed economic sanctions, outright sabotage by some people in the civil service, and gross mismanagement of resources in State owned enterprises have invoked the spirit of determination pervading the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and the generality of the leadership in the country.
There is that astute determination to see the fulfilment of the objectives of the country’s economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET).
There is finally that collective belief that we have arrived, that the path we are walking is the route to our destination, the Promised Land.
Zimbabwe is on its way to the Biblical land of Canaan.
Processes for re-capitalisation and reintegration into the world economy are already being witnessed with Government merging some departments that duplicated functions.
This follows a Civil Service Audit exercise which established during a countrywide physical head-count that several officers were duplicating duties.
The Audit is one of the many measures being taken to cut the civil service wage bill which gobbles a staggering 83 percent of revenue, promote efficiency in a service whose incompetence is now legendary and ensure that efforts to revive the economy are expedited.
Treasury spent US$1,54 billion on labour against revenue of US$1, 718 billion.
The Civil Service Audit established that major labour cost drivers were flagrant abuse of overtime allowances, and leave days, salary fraud, idle manpower, role duplication and uncoordinated staff recruitment.
Signs that the reforms are bearing fruit are already being witnessed with the swift processing of paperwork for Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote’s proposed investment into the country done within 48 hours.
Dangote’s technical team is said to have completed all due-diligence work and everything is now set for work to start in his investments which will run into over US$ 1 billion.
The Nigerian businessman will invest in a US$400 million cement manufacturing plant, a 630M power plant and coal mining.
Cabinet has since directed all ministries to go through the Audit Report’s results and recommendations and give feedback before this month is out.
“Cabinet has referred the recommendations to individual ministries who, we believe, are all studying this Report,” Public Service, Labour and Social Services Minister Prisca Mupfumira told The Sunday Mail this week.
“The Agriculture ministry reported to Cabinet that they have been aligning their stuff structures with what was recommended by auditors.
“So that Ministry has taken the lead in that respect, and we expect other ministries to soon begin reporting what they will have done or will be doing.”
This week major steps were taken to make this hugely anticipated take-off possible with Cabinet agreeing to a Framework for Guarantees for the mega economic deals agreed and signed between China and Zimbabwe.
The Chinese, according to information gathered by this publication, have literary availed a blank cheque to Harare with the issues of guarantees technically a formality.
Impeccable Government sources revealed that a Master Plan for the funding and implementation of the mega economic deals signed between Beijing and Harare in August 2014 has been completed.
All that is left is for smaller details to be dealt with and implementation of the game changing projects will commence.
In December a very big event that will put to rest misplaced murmurs of China and Zimbabwe relations to rest will happen in Harare.
A multi-billion dollar Harare city that will forever change the face of this country is in the offing with funding and repayment modalities already agreed to.
The Chinese this week made a statement of intent after Sable Mining entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese company CITIC Construction Co. Ltd to develop a 600 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Zimbabwe, a deal worth US$500 million.
The plant will be constructed at the company’s 19 236-hectares Lubu Coal Project.
The proposed project is a boost to Zimbabwe’s energy supplies, with the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) unit failing to supply the market due to low generation capacity.
Indians are also making significant inroads with several proposed projects expected to have commenced by the time President Robert Mugabe visits that country next month.
And the Japanese too.
They are coming here with their monies.
Those speculating otherwise will as usual be left with a smirk on their faces.
Mweya wehondo ye Chimurenga wabata varikushanda kusimudzira hupfumi hwedu ngaugare mavari nematiri uye Mwari arambe akavhenekera mwenje wake usadzime!