Winning teams are never changed

SPEAKING after his inauguration for a second successive five-year term in office on Monday, President Mnangagwa said his new administration will continue on its development trajectory of the past five years.

The ongoing success in the agriculture sector that has ensured national food security, will continue and be consolidated. Infrastructure development projects that have seen multiple dams, roads, health service centres, schools and irrigation schemes being built nationwide, will be intensified.  

His administration's ongoing push to stabilise the local currency, and perhaps, getting the economy out of the multi-currency regime to an environment where the Zimbabwe dollar is the sole reference for all domestic transactions, will remain top of the agenda.  

There is no need for the Government to change course having been on this highly productive one since 2018.

This means continuity.  And policy continuity must, too, be reflected in the personnel that has driven it over the past five years.

The President asserted the continuation of that trajectory yesterday when he reappointed Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi. The joint number twos have served their country diligently since the liberation struggle.  

They are decorated soldiers, who, as youths, took up arms against the colonial regime. They helped in the attainment of Independence in 1980 and thereafter served their country in various capacities, first in the military and later as retired servicemen in politics and Government.     

Apart from being VP, Dr Chiwenga seamlessly led the Ministry of Health and Child Care through what is easily the most challenging phase in our history as a country and, indeed the world. Covid-19 alarmed us all in terms of how it emerged, spread worldwide, sickened and killed.

Hundreds of thousands of cases were reported in our country. More than 5 500 compatriots lost their lives. Mobilising the nation to psychologically face this existential threat, mobilising the finances to buy medicines, vaccines and other materials were immense challenges.  

However, the President, through his VP whom he appointed minister four months into the pandemic and other stakeholders led the country to overcome the challenge. Our country was one of the least impacted.  

Apart from being VP, Mohadi had an added responsibility of being the Minister of National Healing and Reconciliation. His biggest task was ensuring that the Gukurahundi matter was effectively dealt with.

Through his leadership, the Government and ordinary people have opened up on this chapter in the national history.

Structures have been set up in Matabeleland region and parts of Midlands ahead of the beginning of hearings into the matter over the next few months.  

We are certain that the people who were affected by Gukurahundi will have their opportunity to talk about it and begin the process of sustainable healing.       

With the Presidium now in place, we are most keenly awaiting the President's appointment of the new Cabinet. As he has already signalled his intention for continuity, we don't think there would really be big surprises.  

In our view, the Cabinet picked from the ninth Parliament was a team of star performers. Results are there, firm on the ground - deeper democracy, peace, national food security, new roads, schools, clinics, hospitals, booming mining industry, 80 percent of shelf space being occupied by locally manufactured goods, Education 5.0, ZimSat-1 is up there working among the stars and so on.  

Thanks to that impressive record, Zanu-PF took an unprecedented decision to go into the just-ended election without a written manifesto. That stellar record of delivery was the manifesto. The electorate sees that record, experiences it, hence they renewed the President's mandate overwhelmingly.  

Winning teams are never changed.