By Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to continue fighting to grow the country’s economy despite the illegal sanctions which have derailed economic progress for the last two decades.
Players in the economic sector from Zimbabwe and beyond convened for the inaugural Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference (ZEDCON) which sought to gather facts and evidence through deliberations and presentations upon which government will craft and formulate policies that resonate with the national economic agenda.
In his address to the delegates when he officially opened the inaugural Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference in Victoria Falls this Friday, President Mnangagwa pointed out the need for Zimbabweans to push ahead and fight for economic growth despite the economic albatross the country has carried for the past two decades.
“Rhetoric must not be taken for fact. Never lose sight of our uniqueness as an economy. Our country has been haemorrhaging under heinous sanctions for over two decades. We must never bury our heads in the sand but instead think outside the box.
“Let us not parrot foreign narratives which are perpetuated to stifle our capacity to economically develop as a sovereign state. Our discourse must be informed by the notion Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa reminded the business minds that taking ownership of the country’s road to recovery is the responsibility of Zimbabweans.
“We are a sovereign state our discourse must be charted by us, we are the owners of our destiny.”
He also said the debate should move from increased investment to value addition.
“Going forward, Events such as this conference should foster a culture of continued learning, unlearning and relearning for the accelerated development of our country. We are a democracy n, no it to be abused but to develop.”
President Mnangagwa also highlighted that government will continue instituting measures which enhance macroeconomic stability, boost confidence in the economy, and preserve value for depositors and investors while dealing with market indiscipline.
The Second Republic is working to grow the country’s economy sector by sector through various interventions that promote investor confidence and boost local production.
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