Harare, (New Ziana) –Ministers of State for Provincial
Affairs and Devolution should focus on improving the living standards of
the people and achieving shared prosperity in their respective areas,
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Wednesday.
Addressing Provincial Ministers from all the 10 provinces, who were
accompanied by their provincial secretaries during an interface meeting
at the State House, President Mnangagwa urged them to remain steadfast
in tackling challenges and to take necessary risks in order to implement
solutions that benefit the people.
He said the increased momentum to achieve national development
aspirations requires leaders who are bold, focused, hardworking and
prepared to make the requisite personal sacrifices for unprecedented
results.
“Individually and collectively decide to be counted as those possessing
these traits. This is the spirit that saw us realise our independence,
freedom and peace to become masters of our own destiny.
“No matter how far we go towards a brighter future, let us stay true to
that original aspiration and never forget from whence we came. That is
ZANU PF under my leadership, always having a heart for the people.
“It is for this reason, therefore, that the policy of devolution and
decentralisation is a beacon to the transformation, development and
prosperity we all have a duty to achieve, as embodied in our national
Constitution,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said devolution is also critically important for
national unity, social cohesion and safeguarding the indivisibility of
Zimbabwe as a sovereign-unitary state.
He said as such, Provincial Ministers should demonstrate the leadership
capability, integrity and humility that rallies all communities, across
all districts, within provinces, around the common national vision, and
the indivisibility of the country.
Provincial Ministers also have a duty at the grassroots level to ensure
that society has vitality and hope, living in unity, peace and harmony,
as it is under such environments that sustainable development and
prosperity for the country can be attained.
President Mnangagwa however castigated the non-attendance to Cabinet
Committee meetings by some Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and
Devolution in 2024, saying it was glaring.
“As a result, Cabinet Committee submissions missed vital input from
provinces. This anomaly must be adequately addressed. May I emphasise
that for the Government to have an effective national Devolution Agenda,
Ministries of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution must submit
comprehensive and timely reports.
“It is, however, unfortunate that some provinces are failing to make
these submissions resulting in gaps and jerks in the coordination of
government programs and projects. This is unacceptable and tantamount to
dereliction of duty,” he said.
The interface meeting, the first since the 2023 harmonised general
elections, takes stock of the progress made under the Devolution and
Decentralisation policy, which is a critical cog of the Second Republic.
New Ziana