OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT, CDE. EMMERSON DAMBUDZO MNANGAGWA ON THE OCCASION OF ZIMBABWE'S 41st INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY

The Chief Secretary, Dr Misheck Sibanda, Deputy Chief Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Chief Directors and staff in the Ofce of the President and Cabinet join the nation in congratulating His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa on the occasion of our nation's 41st Independence Day Anniversary on 18th April, 2021.

The nation is celebrating the occasion with added signicance, in view of the successes the second Republic has achieved in the past year, chief among them being the stabilization of the economy, and the effective management of the health emergency in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Under His Excellency the President's wise stewardship, consolidation of the gains from the Transitional Stabilisation Programme created a resilient economy which equipped the nation with the resources to ght the pandemic. As with every other nation, precious lives are being lost to the scourge, but effective mitigatory strategies have spared us the worst and kept the nation united.

The robust response, including through the ZW$18 billion rescue and stimulus package, assisted the private and informal sectors to absorb the unprecedented shocks and emerge stronger. It is against this background that the 41st Independence Celebrations are bettingly being held under the theme “Zimbabwe at 41 – Together, Growing our Economy for a Prosperous, Resilient and Inclusive Society.”

Industries in general, and socio-economic sectors such as health, education, energy, water, roads, transport which came under severe strain and even closed are reopening amid renewed hope of sustained growth. Schools have successfully reopened while, on another front, the nation is assured of a bumper harvest that has been made possible through the grace of the Almighty when the heavens opened up for a successful 2020/2021 agricultural season.

The Second Republic's robust input support schemes and mechanization programmes for the various farmer categories ensured that the nation restores household and national food security, while at the same time reviving agro-based industrial enterprises.

As the nation celebrates its 41st Independence Day Anniversary, we urge the entire nation to heed His Excellency the President's clarion call for all to embrace the vaccination programme currently underway in order to save lives and build a healthy and productive nation.

As the lead Ofce in the formulation, monitoring and implementation of Government policies, programmes and projects, we once again commit ourselves to efcient service to the entire State machinery under the Whole-of-Government Approach. The launch of the National Development Strategy 1 : 2021-2025 in January this year inspires us to devote all our energies to the upliftment of livelihoods as the nation seeks to attain the objectives of a knowledge and technology-driven, upper middle-income society as encapsulated in Vision 2030.

Once again, we say to His Excellency the President, the First Family and the entire Nation of Zimbabwe: Makorokoto!

Amhlophe!

Congratulations!

Happy 41st Independence Day Anniversary Celebrations!

Dr. Misheck J. M. Sibanda

CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET

18th April, 2021