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Nduduzo Tshuma in Gwanda
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said his Government will, upon winning the July 30 elections, introduce provincial councils in line with the constitutional provisions for devolution of power.

Addressing Zanu-PF supporters at Phelandaba Stadium in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, President Mnangagwa said while the country has a decentralised central Government, the devolution still needs to be implemented.

This is a shift from the previous administration led by former President Mr Robert Mugabe that ignored the clause calling for devolution of power.

President Mnangagwa said the implementation of devolution would ensure that provincial ministers don’t dwell on chanting party slogans but work to boost the economies of their respective provinces.

“We must now obey our constitution. In our constitution there is a provision which provides for the decentralisation of central government, that we have done. There is another decentralisation of power that has not been done called devolution which is separate from decentralisation,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Devolution would require the surrendering of some amount of power to the provinces under the provincial councils in terms of our constitution to give  provinces authority to manage their economies and then the provincial ministers’ role will change, it will be an economic role. They must ensure that the GDP of their provinces grows, they must look at the resources of their provinces and find best ways of exploiting these resources to benefit their respective provinces.”

President Mnangagwa said provincial ministers must for example know all the minerals in their areas and come up with ways of exploiting them to develop their provinces.

Earlier during a briefing at the Gwanda Showground, President Mnangagwa said after the elections which he referred to as the Second Republic, each province will compete in terms of economic delivery.

“When we finish the July 30 elections, when we win, the Second Republic will come into place. Under the Second Republic, each province will have its own economic planning programming from ward, to district to provinces, we initiate the provincial council as provided for by the constitution, run province by province in a devolved tower,” said President Mnangagwa.

“There is no province without resources, each province has particular resources. Under the second republic coming in August, if you don’t want to be rich don’t walk close to us, we must make sure that the economy grows, we would have attended to issues to do with resources that we have.

“I haven’t touched on towns, manufacturing and infrastructural development.”

The President said Matabeleland South for instance will benefit from the dualisation of the road from Beitbridge to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

He said the Government was also finalising a deal with partners for the modernisation of the Beitbridge Border Post.

“Cabinet passed a resolution that Beitbridge Border Post should be modernised so we awarded a company a tender to modernise it. We hope that by Thursday next week papers will be signed with the Ministries of Finance and Transport so that work starts,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the Government was increasing hectarage under Command Agriculture to 1 000 hectares at the Arda Ingwizi Estate in Mangwe and Antelope Estate in Matobo District respectively in order to boost food security.

He said the Government would put 400 000 hectares of land covered under Command Agriculture and the provision of implements to ensure food security while the Presidential Input Support Scheme has been increased from $15 million per season to $487 million.

The President said Government would support the Matobo Research Station that produces various seed so that the country has sufficient research institutes.

He said the province had vast minerals that include gold, emeralds, diamonds, lithium, copper and tungsten that should be fully utilised to ensure economic development.

President Mnangagwa said Command Livestock was also launched for those regions that do not receive adequate rainfall for  crop farming.

He said apart from agricultural projects, Matabeleland South had solar projects in Gwanda, Plumtree and Beitbridge that would feed into the national grid.
He noted that the solar project in Gwanda was plagued with irregularities but said the Government was in the process of rectifying the situation.

The President said the Government has also secured funds for the Tuli-Manyange Dam calling for the full utilisation of water bodies in the province for irrigation.

In the social sector, President Mnangagwa said, the Gwanda State University should produce graduates that are relevant to the province’s development needs as well as meet national economic aspirations.

President Mnangagwa castigated multiple farm owners in the province, saying the Government would soon redress the situation.

He said Zanu-PF needs to remain focused if it is to achieve its development goals. “No one will develop this country except ourselves and for us to do so we need to be united as a party and as a people and concentrate on development and not tearing each other apart,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said the task at hand was creating wealth for the people so that they have a better life.

“How do we do it? We do this by voting into power a political party that has a history of the wishes of the people. A party that has liberated the people from colonialism and which is that party? It is Zanu-PF and who are we? We are Zanu-PF so we are in the correct party and we are the correct people,” he said.

“We are the people who must take this country forward and nobody else. Others can come and bark, make noise but Zanu-PF is a mass party and will continue ruling.”

President Mnangagwa said the voice of the people created the new dispensation hence the servant type of leadership.

He said the new dispensation will carry on with everything good from the previous dispensation and leave behind the bad.

“We must now speak of unity, love and development,” he said.

President Mnangagwa paid tribute to liberation stalwarts like one of the founding fathers of the liberation the late Dr Joshua Nkomo, Jason Ziyaphapha Moyo and Alfred Nikita Mangena, saying the province has contributed immensely to the liberation of the country.

He challenged people from Matabeleland South province to come in their numbers on July 30 to vote in order to maintain the clean sweep of seats as it did in the 2013 elections. The President said he was happy with the massive turn out at the rally which he said confirms that Matabeleland South is 100 percent Zanu-PF.

He said the new dispensation had opened up democracy and as a result 23 candidates are contesting for the country’s presidency from the usual five in previous elections

The President reiterated the importance of a peaceful election period from campaigns to voting and post-election as Zanu-PF wants a peaceful, free and credible victory.

“No to violence we want peace. For us to develop we must have an environment of peace. I’m happy that now, the country is stable and peaceful. We must be known for unity and love.”

He called on Zimbabweans to be polite and be courteous to election observers as Government has invited observers from from 46 countries.
The President said the country has deepened relations with China into a comprehensive partnership where the country gave Zimbabwe great assistance.

He said the Government has secured a $100 million grant from China to empower artisanal miners and ensure that they practice safe and productive mining.

Cde Mnangagwa said he will, before elections, officiate at a ground breaking ceremony in Mashonaland West for a $4,2 billion investment that would create 15 000 jobs.

He said at the end of five years, the Government is targeting 100 tonnes gold output per year.

The President said the Government has also embarked on a road surfacing programme through funds availed by Zinara revealing that the institution was disbursing shocking amounts of money and he was wondering where it was taking the funds to in the past and an inquiry will be launched to unravel how those funds were used.

President Mnangagwa said the Government had come up with a comprehensive housing plan calling on urban councils to stop unplanned development.

“The land commission has since given us an interim report and it exposed many land barons. I won’t mention the names right now but I now have the list and we will soon deal with them,” he said.