Destiny in our own hands — minister
GONE are the days when people would leave the responsibility of economic development to Government alone, as the devolution policy has left citizens duty-bound to develop their respective areas, an official has said.
This was said by the Minister of State for Manicaland provincial affairs Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba during a breakfast meeting with the business community in Mutare.
The event was organised by Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).
Dr Gwaradzimba said failure to turn around the economic fortunes of provinces would be attributed to lack of innovation with the business community having a key role to play in economic turnaround.
“In the past, we used to experience red tape or bureaucracy where things would take forever to happen, but in the new dispensation we want to do things differently,” she said.
“We used to have central Government in Harare and with everything that failed, we used to say it was the Government. Now with the coming in of devolution, the central Government is now in Manicaland. The business community will determine its own destiny as people of Manicaland,” she said.
Dr Gwaradzimba said people of Manicaland would be to blame if the province fails in its economic turnaround endeavours.
She said the devolution process sought to empower them to make economic decisions on things that affected them.
“We will not have anyone to blame, but ourselves. We are now going to grow our own economy in Manicaland as we have been empowered after doing away with red tape and bureaucracy. We need to put our heads together and work as a team to develop our province. We are going to be held responsible if we do not deliver. Our people are suffering,” she said.
Dr Gwaradzimba said the business community had a role to play in turning the economic fortunes of Manicaland province.
“We have a responsibility as the business community to improve the lives of people of Mutare including those in rural areas where we have poor members of our society. Gone are the days when we are going to leave all for the Government. I implore business to wake up and hit the ground running as it is not going to be business as usual anymore as we have a challenge to develop a country, city, province called Manicaland.
“We are going to be guided by the mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’,” she said.
Dr Gwaradzimba said there was need for engagement and unity among people and called for inclusivity regardless of race, creed, colour or political affiliation.
She said people should shun sloganeering and start preaching economics.
Dr Gwaradzimba said people should take necessary measures to attract investors and be swift in responding to those interested in investing in the country.
She noted that there was need to create a one-stop-shop environment to ease the way of doing business.
The event was attended by business persons from across the economic divide including academic gurus.