‘Development agenda continues despite sanctions’

ZIMBABWE will continue pursuing its development agenda despite the harmful effects of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by Western nations, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.

Speaking after touring Batanai Housing Project in Chinhoyi, where three financial institutions have combined to build 1 640 housing units, the Vice President said while Zimbabwe expects the West to lift the sanctions, it was forging ahead with its development agenda.

Zimbabwe’s development agenda, as espoused by President Mnangagwa through Vision 2030, seeks to transform the country into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

VP Mohadi said whether the nation remains under the yoke of the illegal sanctions, a target of 200 000 housing units by 2023 and half-amillion units by 2030 was attainable through concerted efforts by various stakeholders within the housing delivery chain.

“The economic trajectory of Zimbabwe is pleasing, as it is going up. So we are commemorating the Anti-Sanctions Day tomorrow (today) . . . that they be lifted. Whether they lift them or not, Zimbabwe will never stop doing what it is doing. They (West) will be surprised to find out that we are doing better without their resources,” said VP Mohadi.

He implored Zimbabweans to cherish and guard jealously the gains of the liberation struggle as “the houses that you sleep in are yours. They don’t belong to the bank like what happens in other countries where most houses are on mortgage”.

VP Mohadi, who was accompanied by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, and National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe, said the Second Republic was led by a hands-on leadership.

“Gone are the days when Ministries would just tell us what they will be doing without us monitoring. The Presidency monitors everything and reports back to our principal.”

VP Mohadi’s tour was to check on preparedness of the project, which will be the venue of the launch of the Zimbabwe Human Settlement Policy by President Mnangagwa at a date to be announced.

He also toured Crownland Self Help Scheme spearheaded by the Ministry of National Hosing and Social Amenities.

National Building Society (NBS) chief housing officer, Mr Raymond Mudewe, whose institution is expected to construct more than 700 units, expressed readiness and said the first batch of 360 will be constructed within eight months. The other two financial institutions involved in the project are Metbank and NMB Bank, whose projects are at different levels of development.