By Tawanda Chenana

 WE, from the villages across the country, are fired up by calls for rural industrialisation. 

This call is a seed falling on fertile ground. 

It shall bud. 

It will take root. 

It will flourish. 

Back in Jekwa, Mukarakate, Murehwa, down in Macheke, I have seen, through the eye of my mind, so much greatness, still in potential stages, waiting to be unleashed. 

On particular pieces of land. 

In certain pockets of vegetation. 

In some rocky and bushy areas. 

In specific spaces. 

I see what, with combined effort and work, could be. 

The splendor of the botanical gardens, the designs of our cities, parks and shopping malls will pale into insignificance if the best of our architects, builders, artisans and industrialists descend on the pieces of land, pockets of vegetation, rocky and bushy areas and some specific spaces in our rural areas and new resettlements. 

Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi. 

The attack on Zimbabwe by the US and UK, through illegal sanctions and NGOs helping to destroy the country, has caused severe damage on Zimbabwe’s economic and social strata. 

A loss of US$50 billion as a result of the illegal sanctions is staggering. 

But with rural industrialisation, we have an opportunity to start a steady and sustainable recovery. 

Already, the Second Republic has put in place modalities and measures to anchor strong economic recovery. 

The Commander-in-Chief of Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has ably directed and ensured that all measures are taken for our defence, protection, support and promotion for political, social and economic recovery. 

The progressive people of Zimbabwe have already formed their opinion and fully understand the implications of a meddlesome West to the very life and safety of our nation. 

We have a rabid West seeking regime change. 

Game on, we are not moved! 

For we have an able leadership. 

Rural industrialisation will be the nuclear weapon to totally destroy the regime change agenda. 

Rural industrialisation is evidence that our leadership fully knows the character of the onslaught against us. 

It is our leadership asserting that we will not only defend ourselves to the utmost but make certain that future generations will not be at the mercy of the West ever again. 

It is the rural areas that fuelled the blaze of the armed struggle. 

Would it also not be logical for it to fuel the economic struggle. 

The West smiles at us, makes overtures of peace and co-operation but hostilities exist. 

Our people, our territory and our interests remain in grave danger. 

But with confidence in our programmes, if we fully support and execute them, with determination of our people, victory is certain. 

People of Dzimbahwe, let us not be fooled. 

A war is being waged against us by our former colonisers with the greatest and most persistent intensity 

Indeed, everything we are, and have, is at stake. 

Thus, everything we are, and have, must be given to defend, to serve the motherland. 

Programmes, like rural industrialisation, will consolidate the substantial progress we are making towards ultimate victory. 

The seed of rural industrialisation must take root. 

We are progressing; recovery is happening despite the savage attacks we continue to experience. 

We have a Commander-in-Chief in complete control operating with admirable calm and resolution. 

But we must support his efforts by playing our roles, by ensuring that our lines are not broken to slow our progress. 

We must never make the mistake of assuming that the West will let us be. 

Only our initiatives will save us. 

We have arable land and have been highly productive on it. 

The next frontier will be the processing – a development that will make us a net exporter of finished products, thus rural industrialization is the way to go. 

The Chimurengas were wars fought and won. 

But these were battles fought and won to drive out the enemy and put us in a position to achieve and become much more as a people. 

Rural indistrialisation will wrest the initiative from our enemies and place our superior resources of materials, men and women into direct competition with them. 

Rural industrialisation is development, according to us.