Harare, (New Ziana) – Despite the economic rebound and bold strides in infrastructure and public service reform the country has made, the twin scourges of corruption and political polarization risk derailing the development agenda, Vice President Kembo Mohadi has said.
Speaking during the inaugural Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Awareness Campaign in Harare on Thursday, VP Mohadi underscored the urgent need for transparency, accountability and evidence-based planning as the country marches towards its vision to become an upper middle income society by 2030.
“Corruption is an enemy of development, and we must fight it relentlessly, whether in the public or private sector. We must confront our challenges with sincerity,”
The high-level gathering brought together government officials, development partners, academics and civil society actors with the aim of strengthening national development through robust monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
VP Mohadi said while economic indicators are showing promise, with the national GDP projected to double from US$22.04 billion in 2017 to US$44.4 billion by 2025, the country cannot afford to build blindly and called for rigorous tracking of results and responsiveness to citizen feedback.
“Monitoring, evaluation and learning are no longer optional, they are strategic imperatives. We must ask: Are we reaching the most vulnerable? Are we using resources efficiently and effectively?”
He praised the milestones achieved under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), including signature infrastructure projects like the Beitbridge Border Post modernisation, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport upgrade, and the Harare-Beitbridge Road rehabilitation, adding these are more than just physical developments but instruments of empowerment, connectivity, productivity and hope.
A key highlight of the event was the unveiling of the Chiringa Monitoring and Evaluation Dashboard, developed in partnership with Bindura University of Science Education, which is expected to revolutionize the government’s ability to track the performance of all programs and projects under one unified platform.
“The Chiringa Dashboard will soon be launched by His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa before the end of this year,” said VP Mohadi, urging stakeholders to build a culture where “what is measured gets done.”
“Let us embed Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning in all aspects of national development. Together, we will build the Zimbabwe we want, brick upon brick, leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
New Ziana
