SANF 17 no 57
He spoke on a wide-range of issues. However, the message was clear and in unison.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the new President of Zimbabwe said unity of purpose among all citizens — both within and outside the country – and regardless of colour or political association is key in consolidating the gains of independence as well as rebuilding the economy.
“The task at hand is that of rebuilding our great country,” Mnangagwa said in his maiden speech following his inauguration on 24 November in Harare, adding that the task “principally lies with none but ourselves.”
“I thus humbly appeal to all of us that we let bygones be bygones, readily embracing each other in defining a new destiny.”
Mnangagwa also promised to strengthen ties with regional and continental neighbours and mend bridges with the rest of the international community as the country embarks on a “different positive direction”.
Acknowledging that most of the problems the southern African country has faced since 2000 “emanate, in part, from the way we have managed our politics, both nationally and internationally”, he said focus will be to ensure that Zimbabwe retakes its rightful place “among the family of nations”.
He noted that the land reform programme, introduced by his predecessor Robert Mugabe in 2000, was inevitable but said his administration would aim to compensate all farmers who lost their farmland during the process.
“My government is committed to compensating those farmers from whom land was taken in terms of our laws,” Mnangagwa said.
More than 4,500 white commercial farmers were dispossessed of their land by landless Zimbabweans under a programme viewed by some as precipitating the political and economic crisis that affected the country over the past 17 years.
Relations soured between Harare and most Western capitals, with Mugabe pulling Zimbabwe out of the Commonwealth in December 2003.
This resulted in an unprecedented flight of capital and skills from Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa pledged to revive ties with most regional, continental and international organisations.
“We fully reaffirm our membership of the family of nations and express our commitment to playing our part in all regional, continental and international organisations and arrangements in order to make our modest contribution towards a prosperous world order,” he said.
On economic development, Mnangagwa said the recovery will be predicated on agriculture, which is the backbone of the economy.
“Key choices will have to be made to attract Foreign Direct Investment to tackle high levels of unemployment while transforming our economy towards the tertiary,” he said.
“The many skilled Zimbabweans who have left the country over the years for a variety of reasons must now come into the broad economic calculus designed for our recovery and take off.”
Focus will also be put on infrastructure development such as roads to allow for the smooth movement of people, goods and services.
The inauguration ceremony of Mnangagwa as the new Zimbabwean President was witnessed by more than 60,000 Zimbabweans of all walks of life and political persuasions.
A number of regional leaders, including Zambian President Edgar Lungu and former Zambian heads of state Kenneth Kaunda and Rupiah Banda as well as Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, and President Seretse Khama Ian Khama of Botswana, Namibian Deputy President Nickey Iyambo and former Namibian presidents Sam Nujoma and Hifikepunye Pohamba attended the inauguration.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) congratulated Zimbabwe for the smooth transition, and has committed its support to continue strengthening its “relationship with the Government of Zimbabwe under the leadership of President Mnangagwa”.
“Zimbabweans have placed their trust in President Mnangagwa and are looking forward to his leadership in upholding the tenets of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, in which they have committed themselves to building “a united, just and prosperous nation, founded on values of transparency, equality, freedom, fairness, honesty and the dignity of hard work,” SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, who attended the swearing in ceremony said in a statement.
Zimbabwe has been very instrumental in steering the regional cooperation, development and integration agenda of SADC.
In 2015, when the former president Mugabe was SADC Chairperson, Zimbabwe spearheaded the development of the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap (2015-2063). sardc.net
