Vision 2030 addresses SDGs aims: President Mnangagwa

Victoria Falls (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe’s vision 2030 development agenda is intricately linked to, and addresses, the aspirations of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Tuesday.

Through economic reforms and other business-friendly polices, government has targeted to transform the economy of the Southern African nation to an upper middle income level by 2030.

Officially opening the 6th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, President Mnangagwa said through the reforms and policies, the country was also addressing the SDGs.

“Zimbabwe’s vision 2030 directly addresses the aspirations highlighted by the SDGs and agenda 2063 and seeks a developmental path which leaves no one behind,” he said.

“Accordingly, our 5 year national development plans running up to 2030 will endeavour to achieve an upper middle income economy status by 2030.”

President Mnangagwa detailed the strategies government was pursuing to ensure successful implementation of the SDGs as well as vision 2030.

“We have refocused our annual national budget to ensure that every programme at Ministry level is aligned to specific SDGs.

“In addition, government has developed an elaborate coordination and implementation framework with a supervision mandate housed in my office to ensure collaborative technical coordination. I have also assigned the Ministries responsible for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare; Health and Child Care as well as Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement to coordinate the governance framework. The system is working well, with commendable progress having been achieved,” he said.

“The integration of SDGs into local development initiatives therefore enhances the development agenda at the grassroots level. Furthermore, my government has recognised the need to give greater flexibility, autonomy and to devolve governance structures as we take SGs to the people with a view to implement locally driven initiatives.

“Our devolution policy is therefore being vigorously implemented to allow all provinces of the country to plan and implement their development strategies using the natural resource endowments in their localities which will impact our SDGs, this is aimed at attaining the convergence of national priorities and SDG implementation.”

However, President Mnangagwa said the illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Western countries continued to impede the speed with which the country implements SDGs.

The sanctions were imposed two decades ago to force the government to back-track on its land reform policy under which it compulsorily acquired excess farmland from white farmers to resettle landless peasants.

These are estimated to have cost the country US$100 billion over the two decades.

But despite the sanctions, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was determined to pursue its development aims, including the SDGs.

“Sustainable development in Africa cannot be achieved without comprehensive socio-economic development. In the case of Zimbabwe we remain committed to fully implement the political, economic and legislative reforms.

“As one of our tools of engagement and re-engagement strategy, we are determined to see through the IMF Staff Monitored Programme which supports our reform agenda as well as the achievement of the associated reform targets,” he said.

New Ziana