Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-The Zimbabwe government has adopted a deliberate policy to empower communities through leveraging local resources and inclusive industrialisation, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Mangaliso Ndhlovu said this at the Community Economic Empowerment Trust (CEET) workshop held in the second largest city on Thursday.
A Community Economic Empowerment Trust (CEET) is a government initiative, evolving from Community Share Ownership Trusts (CSTO) designed to drive rural industrialization and inclusive growth by having local communities benefit from natural resources and investments, focusing on agro-processing, industrial parks, and local value chains, as part of a national strategy to economically empower indigenous people.
Ndhlovu also explained the importance of community-driven economic transformation, saying the country has reached a critical juncture where political independence should be matched by real economic power for local communities.
“As government, we are determined to ensure that communities move from spectators to owners and drivers of economic growth,” he said.
He said the new empowerment thrust of the government was not a minor policy adjustment, but a fundamental transformation aimed at translating value from the country`s natural resources into sustainable development for host communities.
“What we are implementing is not merely a policy shift. It is a fundamental change to ensure that wealth generated from our natural resources results in tangible and lasting benefits for the communities where those resources are found,” he said.
Ndhlovu outlined the pillars of the CEET framework, beginning with the move away from passive community share ownership towards active community economic participation and management.
“The first pillar represents a change in mindset. We are shifting from community shareholding to community economic power, where communities are proactively engaged in value creation across the country,” he noted.
He said the second pillar was the One District, One Community Trust initiative, designed to ensure targeted and decentralised development.
“This approach allows every district to leverage its unique resources effectively. Decision-making and economic control must be decentralised to the district level if communities are to truly benefit,” he said.
On benefit-sharing, Ndhlovu highlighted the introduction of a two percent corporate social responsibility levy, which will be channeled directly towards community empowerment projects.
“Communities must benefit from the very beginning of resource exploitation. The new framework ensures clear, transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms so that development is commensurate with what is extracted from their areas. The fourth pillar focuses on rural industrialisation and local enterprise development, with CEET expected to spearhead investment in agro-processing, industrial parks and service hubs. We want to move beyond social development projects to local enterprise development. Our goal is to transform rural communities into industrial hubs that create jobs, add value and attract investment,” said Ndhlovu.
He implored stakeholders to fully embrace the empowerment framework, stressing that it was both an economic and strategic national imperative.
“This is not just an economic program, it is a strategic course for our nation. If we get this right, communities will no longer watch resources being exploited without benefit, but will become active participants in building the country`s industrial future,” he said.
New Ziana
