President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabwe’s youth and women to actively participate in the nation’s economic growth, emphasising the need to create wealth within the country rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
Addressing delegates at the 22nd ZANU PF National People’s Conference under the theme, “Attainment of Vision 2030 Through Economic Empowerment and Value Addition,” the President outlined a vision for self-reliant prosperity anchored on local entrepreneurship and community-driven development.
“The ongoing empowerment programmes are designed to enable entrepreneurs to expand their businesses. Our youth and women must make money, in the free and independent land of our birth,” President Mnangagwa said.
The call to “make money” forms a central pillar of Government’s economic philosophy, prioritising national resources and opportunities for Zimbabwean citizens.
President Mnangagwa stressed inclusivity, stating: “No one and no place will be left behind.”
He framed this empowerment within the broader national development ethos, invoking the mantra: “Nyika inovakwa, inotongwa, inonamatigwa nevene vayo / Ilizwe lakhiwa, libuswe, likhu-le-ke-lwe ngabanikazi balo” — meaning, “The country is built, governed, and defended by its owners.”
Highlighting sectors driving growth, the President pointed to record maize, wheat, and tobacco yields, robust mineral sales, an expanding manufacturing sector, and rising tourist arrivals as evidence of Zimbabwe’s economic potential.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the diaspora, noting that remittances and investments in local enterprises demonstrated “patriotism and allegiance to our motherland.”
In a strong push for rural industrialisation, President Mnangagwa called for industries and factories to be established in communities, producing goods where people live.
“The duty to create jobs for our young people is ours together,” he said.
The President’s address was both a policy directive and a motivational call, underlining that the achievement of an empowered, upper-middle-income society by 2030 depends on Zimbabweans actively producing, building, and profiting within their own borders.
By championing self-sufficiency and local ownership, the President seeks to mobilise citizens, particularly youth and women, as the primary architects of the nation’s economic future.
