'Focus is now on total empowerment,' says Khaya Moyo

Zanu-PF has now shifted attention from electioneering to economic development aimed at improving lives of the people, Senior Minister of State Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

Speaking during a meeting with Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi, Mr Sergei Bakharev, at his Munhumutapa Offices yesterday, Khaya Moyo said Government wanted to ensure that locals benefited from their abundant resources.

"We are on the move to ensure that there is total empowerment of our people because our resources are our resources," said Khaya Moyo.

"We cannot see them (resources) going to enrich other people and let our people suffer. We are glad that we are moving and we have two thirds majority in Parliament.

"We have got our own Government without that inclusivity (coalition government) which was absolutely a burden. We are now focusing on economic development."

Khaya Moyo said it was encouraging that Zimbabwe's all-weather friends such as Russia and China were willing to invest in the country and help turn around the country's economy.

Zimbabwe, he said, trusted Russia as it helped immensely to attain independence.

"We want to see this relationship tightened and see more Russians coming to help us develop our country," he said.

"You are very experienced and you have got all that industrial knowledge in terms of development. We want to benefit as well from your experience."

Khaya Moyo expressed gratitude to Russia for standing by Harare, especially at a time when some Western countries wanted to abuse the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe.

He said the West was giving up on its sinister intentions because Zimbabwe was a sovereign state.

"The West is giving up, I believe, because we are a sovereign country and we believe that the West must also know that," he said.