Detractors will never break the spirit of Zimbabweans, says Mnangagwa

Detractors will never break the spirit of Zimbabweans, as the Second Republic continues on its journey to build the economy through provision of transport services and other infrastructural development projects in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030, President Mnangagwa has said.

The President said this on his Twitter handle soon after commissioning 50 new buses under Zupco on Thursday last week. In little under three years, the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa has registered tremendous strides in the improvement of people's lives through cushioning the public by providing facilities such as buses under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company.

This is despite the economic sanctions that some Western countries continue to maintain on the country.  To improve public transport, Government last week secured 50 more buses, with hundreds more on their way.  Zupco has since partnered the National Railways of Zimbabwe, as Government demonstrates commitment to providing an efficient and reliable transport system for urban commuters. There is massive roadworks under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme, which has seen most roads being rehabilitated or constructed after years of neglect.

Government has mobilised US$400 million to embark on a massive rehabilitation of the country's major highways, urban, rural and some feeder roads. Other infrastructure development projects by the Second Republic include expansion of major airports that include the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and construction of dams, courts and modern houses and flats.  

In a message on his Twitter handle, President Mnangagwa underscored the resilience of Zimbabweans in the wake of those who wish them to fail. He wrote the message soon after commissioning the latest batch of 50 new buses under Zupco that is expected to complement those already on the road, as the Second Republic seeks to improve mobility of its citizens.

"There are those both at home and abroad who do not want Zimbabwe to succeed," said President Mnangagwa.  "To these people, I say this — you will never break the spirit of the Zimbabwean people! This is now the 6th fleet of buses that has been commissioned by my Government. We are rebuilding our great nation!"

In addition to the 50 buses that President Mnangagwa commissioned, another fleet of 100 had already been paid for and are expected to arrive in the country soon. The six batches of Chinese Golden Dragon buses have added more than 400 buses to the public transport fleet and the Government is committed to a continuing process to add more.

In his keynote address at the ceremony held last Thursday to unveil the latest fleet, President Mnangagwa said shelters at bus terminuses countrywide will be repaired, replaced or installed before the next rains as part of a Government programme to upgrade urban public transport. The renovation of terminuses, where years of local authority neglect and vandalism have left most in a sorry state, will make a significant difference for passengers and complement Government efforts to rebuild Zupco as an adequate service and then as a first-class service.

The Second Republic will also procure more than 288 new buses next month, while an additional 279 are expected before year-end to boost Zupco's capacity to provide an efficient and reliable mass public transport system. As part of measures to establish an integrated mass public transport system, US$71 million will be sunk into procuring 10 new locomotives and 100 coaches to be operated under a joint venture between Zupco and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) on urban commuting routes in Harare.

On the Covid-19 front, Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in Africa that has embarked on a massive procurement of vaccines aimed at attaining herd immunity, whose effect is to minimise cycle of transmission of the virus in a given population.