In a compelling address that reverberated with the weight of parliamentary authority and visionary foresight, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, positioned Zimbabwe at the forefront of Africa’s agricultural transformation, industrial growth, and technological leapfrogging. His remarks, delivered with the gravitas of legislative responsibility, underscored the urgency of embracing artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, and industrial innovation as the pillars upon which Zimbabwe and the wider African continent must build their future.
The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, reminded stakeholders that Parliaments are not bystanders in development but legislative architects shaping the policy scaffolding that sustains economies. By invoking the role of the Legislature in policy formulation, oversight, and representation, he emphasized that innovation cannot thrive in a vacuum. It demands enabling laws, predictable regulations, and a culture of accountability that only strong parliamentary systems can provide.
He expressed admiration for Japan’s remarkable capacity to blend advanced industrial innovation with environmental stewardship. The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, challenged Zimbabwe and Africa to draw lessons from this model, urging African nations to localize technologies in a manner that preserves cultural identity while stimulating industrial productivity. This, he argued, is the essence of economic diplomacy, where partnerships are forged not on dependency but on reciprocity and mutual respect.
The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, stressed the need for youth and women to be placed at the centre of industrial and agricultural policy. He pointed out that the demographic dividend will be squandered if Africa does not deliberately legislate for inclusion, training, and empowerment. He reminded stakeholders that Parliaments are duty-bound to create an enabling ecosystem where innovation becomes a shared inheritance, not the preserve of a privileged few.
His remarks carried the tone of a statesman, but they were firmly rooted in parliamentary praxis. He invoked the oversight mandate of Parliament, highlighting how legislators must interrogate executive policies to ensure that artificial intelligence, industrial innovation, and agricultural modernization are not mere slogans but deliverables that change livelihoods. By calling for strengthened bilateral cooperation between Zimbabwe and Japan, he reinforced Parliament’s role as a diplomatic actor, advancing international relations through legislative diplomacy.
Therefore, be it resolved, that Zimbabwe, guided by the stewardship of its Parliament, shall enshrine in law the principles of technological advancement, agricultural modernization, industrial growth, and inclusive development. Be it further resolved, that this commitment shall be pursued in the spirit of economic diplomacy, mutual cooperation, and intergenerational equity, so that the nation’s children and their children may inherit a Zimbabwe that is prosperous, innovative, and sovereign.
Thus, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Jacob Mudenda, did not merely deliver an address, he tabled a vision. His intervention was not just a speech but a motion of intent, rising to the solemnity of a parliamentary resolution. It was a declaration that Zimbabwe’s future will not be written by chance, but by deliberate legislative action, visionary leadership, and strategic partnerships that place the nation firmly in the company of global innovators.
