'Government Should Be Results-Oriented'

Republic of Zimbabwe Vice-President Joice Mujuru speaking on September 26, 2013. Mujuru was acting president while President Mugabe was at the UN General Assembly., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

‘Govt should be results-oriented’

September 27, 2013 Local News
Zimbabwe Herald
Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter

Acting President Joice Mujuru yesterday said Government should be results-oriented and that all officials, including ministers, must work hard in executing their duties.

Speaking at the National Economic Consultative Forum’s Agro-business and Nutrition Security Conference in Harare, Acting President Mujuru urged ministers to work hard for the development of the nation and fulfil the promises they made to the electorate.

“As a leader, I should look at what contributions I should make towards the development of the country,” she said.

“Sometimes we fail to solve some problems because of the pace we take at coming up with programmes that bring solutions to the problems.

“I want to die a Member of Parliament for Mt Darwin and this should be reflected in the delivery of my duties. You should not manipulate people to vote for you, but they should love you because you are hardworking.”

Acting President Mujuru said the agriculture sector was important due to its contribution towards the economy, but it was the duty of every stakeholder to work towards improving the sector.

“We should not leave the burden to President Mugabe or Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made alone, but it should be the responsibility of all to ensure the sector is vibrant,” she said.

Acting President Mujuru said the agriculture sector was important in poverty reduction in Zimbabwe.

“This is why it is important that the development of this country should consider first things first,” she said. “Agricultural growth and development must precede manufacturing and its secondary industries.”

Acting President Mujuru said people were migrating from rural areas to urban areas due to poverty that has been worsened by droughts.

“We used to depend on our rural families subsidising our urban life with real rural farm produce,” she said. “This demonstrates the intertwined nature of urban and rural poverty.

“To us your leaders, this means poverty is poverty wherever it exists and it is bad. We need to fight this and nail tooth with the true spirit of a revolution, utilising all possible resources available at our disposal.”

Acting President Mujuru said there was need to link increased yield for the agricultural sector to value addition, hygiene, good and attractive packaging and sustainable markets.

“We need to refine the land and agrarian reform with a rural heart where people come together, give each other equal opportunities, work together and eat together,” she said.

“Let us stand up for an inclusive Zimbabwe from the production process right through to consumption.”

Acting President Mujuru raised concern that many people were shunning nutritional traditional food for junk food and this was increasing malnutrition among Zimbabweans.

She urged people to return to the traditional foods which had nutritional value, especially small grains.

Speaking at the same function, Minister Made said the transfer of close to 14 million prime agriculture land from white to black farmers empowered thousands to participate in the mainstream agriculture economy.

He raised concern over the continuous increase in costs of production which has been going up, affecting the viability of the sector.

“Commercialisation or agriculture production enablers in general, and the scrapping of 55 percent subsidy on electricity charges in particular saw many farmers having difficulties,” said Minister Made.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa encouraged people to eat traditional foods which are of high nutritional value instead of the imported foods which could be lacking nutrients.