Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (R, Front) takes a torch during a celebration marking the 41st anniversary of Zimbabwe's Independence at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on April 18, 2021. Zimbabwe marked its 41st independence anniversary on Sunday, with a call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the nation to keep safeguarding its sovereignty. (Photo by Shaun Jusa/Xinhua)
HARARE, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe marked its 41st independence anniversary on Sunday, with a call by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the nation to keep safeguarding its sovereignty.
"As a sovereign nation and people, the occasion of our Independence Day is a constant reminder of the need to preserve, safeguard and protect our liberation war heritage and the rich history of our country. This is the foundation and hallmark of our nation, today and forever," he said in a televised speech.
This year's independence day was once again commemorated virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mnangagwa implored citizens to reminisce on the previous years with great pride and joy, observing that more importantly, the nation should look forward to the years ahead with a bright flame of hope for the next generation.
Zimbabwe attained its political independence from Britain in 1980.
"The importance of protecting the gains of this hard-won independence can, therefore, not be over-emphasized," he said.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had begun the new decade of its independence with greater determination, resolve and confidence to achieve Vision 2030, which seeks to grow the country into a middle-income economy by 2030.
"A vision of an empowered people with a higher standard of living. A vision of a thriving and prosperous economy, which plays its part within the comity of nations," he said.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was poised for an economic boom, based on a better agricultural season this year, recovering mining sector, modest success in improving economic fundamentals and steady efforts in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Following successive seasons of drought, it is encouraging that the 2020/2021 summer cropping season was characterized by normal to above normal rainfall. These interventions, coupled with timely provision of extension services, will see the country attain a bumper harvest this season," he said.
Mnangagwa said the mining industry is projected to rebound by 11 percent this year, guided by the strategy to achieve a 12-billion-U.S. dollar mining industry by 2023.
"Programs that include increased exploration, expansion of existing mining projects, resuscitation of closed mines, opening of new mines, mineral beneficiation and value addition are being prioritized."
Mnangagwa noted that inflation, which had become a major source of macroeconomic instability, was being contained while the foreign currency auction system introduced in June last year had also enhanced transparency and accountability in the distribution and use of foreign currency.
"The resuscitation of strategic industries such as fertilizer, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, textiles and clothing, leather manufacturing, as well as food and beverages is being accelerated," he said.
In order for Zimbabwe to penetrate global value chains, Mnangagwa said efforts are underway to structurally transform the economy from an exporter of predominantly primary products to higher nodes of industrial development.
Zimbabwe's economy is projected to grow by 7.4 percent in 2021 despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, from a decline of 4.1 percent in 2020, according to a central bank forecast earlier this year. Enditem
