Hosia Mviringi
Zimbabwe has had to adopt a culture of self-sustenance, after economic sanctions which saw the country being isolated and having to work hard to cover its needs with minimal assistance.
These words were said by President Mnangagwa in Kwekwe yesterday where he was commissioning the Midlands Youth Heifer Pass-on Scheme at DCK Farm on the outskirts of the Midlands City.
“It is true that God commanded that man have dominion over the world and all creatures in the sea, air and land. However, after the fall of man, God committed mankind to hard labour for his survival”, said the President.
In the book of Genesis 3 verse 19 the Bible says;
“In the sweat of thy face shalt you eat bread, till you return unto the ground, for out of it were you taken, for dust you are, and unto the dust shall you return”.
This, the President said, was the reason why the he and his delegation was in Kwekwe for the launch of a self-help programme to equip the youths with survival skills.
President Mnangagwa explained that the mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa navene vayo’ (A nation is built by its own citizens) could have never be more apt considering the isolation that the country has endured due to the evil Western sanctions.
Zimbabwe has for the past two decades failed to access international development finance, which prompted the government to adopt an inward looking approach to developmental issues.
The President said that the nation took pride in the fact that invaluable lessons which have been learnt over the years, have seen the country emerging stronger from the adversity.
“For many years, we used to source for productive expertise from other countries, some from very far places in Europe. We used to outsource contractors for road and dam construction.
But sanctions have actually revealed that we actually have better talent and expertise here in the country,” said the President.
“I was part of the system then. I don’t know where the money was going, but what I know is that now we have the money to successfully carry out critical infrastructure development projects without borrowing or outsourcing expertise,” said President Mnangagwa.
It was with great national pride that even though rich countries had denied Zimbabwe financial aid to help with mitigatory interventions in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, government was able to defy all odds to roll out the most successful Vaccine acquisition and administration program which was financed from locally harnessed resources.
The President said that it was out of the current adversity that the country has managed to come out with some of the most remarkable innovative interventions that have changed lives of its citizens.
The President urged the youths to take advantage of the Agricultural hubs set to be established countrywide to pursue and engage in productive activities of their choice.
“Over the years we have discovered that the Europeans can indeed keep their sanctions while we keep our people, our talent, land and all resources thereunder. God will give us the rain to be productive”.
The 600 heifers to be distributed among the country’s ten Provinces, complimented by a tractor each, will act as the starter pack for a program that is expected to change lives and revolutionise agricultural production in the country.
“The Youth Livestock Program is a program meant to mainstream youth participation in agriculture and the wider economy,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa has been empowering small scale farmers, who would ordinarily be overlooked by commercial agricultural products.
In December 2021, he launched a programme which will see each of the country’s 35 000 villages getting a borehole each, this is expected to boost the country’s horticultural prospects.
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