Africa’s Future Lies in Its Own Hands
President E.D. Mnangagwa’s advice that Africans should utilize their own resources to sustain their livelihoods and avoid relying on foreign aid is a wise and timely move that all Africans should embrace and act upon.
In his address marking the 61st Africa Day commemorations, the President emphasized that the responsibility of developing the continent rests solely with its people. He urged Africans to harness their innate skillfulness and resilience, advocating for a united front in addressing local challenges through homegrown solutions. Furthermore, the President encouraged Africans to strive for self-sufficiency in producing all essential products and goods used daily, without relying on external supplies from outside the continent.
Africa has long been perceived by the outside world as a continent in need, reliant on foreign aid. Its natural resources have been exploited, leaving the continent dependent on external support for survival. Therefore, President E.D. Mnangagwa’s call for Africa to utilize its own resources to meet its daily needs is a welcome and timely idea that Africans should embrace and move away from foreign aid.
The African continent is endowed with vast natural resources, including fertile land for agriculture, untapped plantations, and an abundance of minerals such as iron, platinum, uranium, gold, and diamonds. Additionally, the Great Inga Dam in the DRC has the potential to generate electricity for the entire continent and beyond. Given these resources, it is perplexing that Africa would still rely on foreign aid. What is needed is expertise to harness these resources for the continent’s benefit, as proposed by President Mnangagwa.
The United States of America’s success was achieved through the unification of various states under a single governing authority. Similarly, President Mnangagwa’s vision for Africa to utilize its own resources without relying on foreign aid is a call for African leaders to consider forming the United States of Africa.
The late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi consistently advocated for the formation of the United States of Africa during African Union meetings. He believed that African countries could wield significant influence if united politically and economically.
It is high time for African leaders to revisit Gaddafi’s and President Mnangagwa’s views and implement them. By forming the United States of Africa and utilizing their own resources to sustain their needs, African leaders can free the continent from foreign manipulation.
President Mnangagwa has initiated a crucial conversation by urging Africans to harness their resources for sustainability and independence from foreign aid. Now, it is incumbent upon African leaders to take action.
Foreign aid has historically failed to benefit Africa, instead creating puppet leaders. African leaders must strive to end this cycle and achieve economic and political independence.
African leaders should prioritize President Mnangagwa’s advice, shunning foreign aid and its strings, to ensure the continent’s freedom from economic manipulation and puppet leadership.
By doing so, Africa can unlock its full potential and become a self-sufficient, united, and prosperous continent.
Zimbabweans welcome Starlink licensing
President Emmerson Mnangagwa gave tech-savvy Zimbabweans a pleasant Africa Day present when he announced that he had approved the licensing of Starlink by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) in a long-awaited move that is set to boost Zimbabwe’s digital economy.
Starlink will partner a local telecommunications firm, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd to roll out the Starlink satellite internet service.
Meanwhile, Liquid Intelligent Technologies signed a distribution partnership agreement with global satellite provider, Eutelsat OneWeb, to offer satellite-based internet connectivity.
Zimbabweans, who have been on the receiving end of expensive, erratic, slow broadband internet service from telecommunications companies have welcomed the licencing of Starlink to operate in Zimbabwe, as well as Eutelsat OneWeb.
The entry by Starlink in the digital telecommunications space in Zimbabwe is expected to result in the deployment of high speed, low cost, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) internet infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe, particularly in marginalised rural areas.
The digital divide between urban and rural is set to be bridged with the introduction of Starlink. The New Dispensation, through the Ministry of Information Communication Technologies and Courrier Services, is currently undertaking a computerisation programme for rural schools, which would be boosted by the coming in of Starlink, and in the process, bringing to life the Second Republic’s mantra of leaving no place and no one behind.
A coterie of anti-progress and anti-Government activists, who were clamouring for Starlink prior to its licencing and were pillorying Government for taking its time to licence Starlink have inexplicably changed tact and are now criticising President Mnangagwa for acceding to the licensing of Starlink by Portraz.
Well-meaning Zimbabweans have nonetheless embraced the positive development.
The partnerships between local companies, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd and Liquid Intelligent Technologies with global satellite internet providers is a step in the right direction to catapult Zimbabwe towards Vision 2030, where technology and big data is at the centre of accelerated development.
Youth Service Zimbabwe roars into life ….
…. As the United Kingdom considers following suit.
On Friday, His Excellency President Mnangagwa launched the Youth Service Zimbabwe (YSZ) at Nhakiwa Vocational Training Centre in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe District, Mashonaland East Province, attracting an estimated 50,000 attendees, mostly youths.
The re-establishment of the rebranded YSZ, formerly known as the National Youth Service, is a result of the Second Republic’s Cabinet decision in 2021, aiming to equip the majority of the youth population with essential life skills.
The launch, themed “Empower Youth: Secure the Future,” will offer training at Vumba and Dadaya Vocational Training Centres, with a target of 10,000 youths completing the program by the end of the year.
Notably, the YSZ launch coincides with the announcement by United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, that a future Conservative government would reintroduce mandatory national service.
With the re-establishment of the YSZ, youths who complete training will receive priority in employment and enrolment into public sector and higher and tertiary institutions and will be prioritised for financial support to establish new projects and businesses.
The YSZ is a six-month training course targeting youths between the ages of 18 and 35. It covers 3 months of institutionalised training and 3 months of community attachment. It seeks to inculcate values of Ubuntu/Hunhu, patriotism and leadership to the country’s youthful population. It also seeks to keep youths away from social ills such as drug and substance abuse resulting from idleness.
The Second Republic committed to establishing Vocational Training Centres across all the country’s districts. Nhakiwa Vocational Training Centre, outside the conventional learning structures, has also embraced the Village Business Unit concept. This has seen the establishment of a nutrition garden supported by drip irrigation, a poultry project and fish ponds.
The VBU concept is set to economically empower the training centres through reduction of their running costs as they would now be in a position to produce food for themselves. If well managed, the concept has potential to produce more than they require, resulting in a new income revenue stream for training centres. Each VBU is estimated to make at least US$10 000 per year.
The launch of the YSZ heralds President Mnangagwa’s vision of building a patriotic youthful population that does not fall prey to the whims and machinations of foreign manipulation.
The President is on record saying the road to a modernised, industrialised and prosperous society must be anchored by the country’s rich cultural heritage and the philosophy of Ubuntu/Hunhu. All values which the YZS seeks to inculcate in our youthful population.
Chamisa caught in a time warp
Losing Presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, who quit his party, CCC, in a huff inexplicably continues to be fixated on the outcome of the elections.
Pursuant to that futile cause, Chamisa who has since lost any political gravitas indicated on X that he would deliver his next course of action to ‘correct’ the allegedly ‘disputed’ Presidential election.
Chamisa appears to be suffering from post-electoral loss disorder as he is failing to come to terms with his deafening loss to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023. He is certainly caught in a time warp, yet Zimbabweans and the world at large have moved on.
President Mnangagwa is the undisputed and legitimate Head of State and Government, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF).
President Mnangagwa is poised to take over the SADC Chairmanship in August 2024, when Zimbabwe hosts the SADC Summit. The European Union (EU), the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) recognise President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy, and after being disillusioned by Chamisa’s political immaturity have shifted focus to working with the ZANU PF Government.
It appears Chamisa has been jolted to action by the shrill noises by his political nemesis, Job Sikhala, who seems to have eclipsed him as the top noisy opposition sell-out with his antics in Geneva, Switzerland, recently. This explains why Chamisa from the blue wants to resurrect the dead issue about a disputed election.
All well-meaning Zimbabweans will naturally ignore the rantings of a sore loser, who wants to continue dragging Zimbabwe backwards and put it in perpetual election mode.
