#Freedom Now gives expectations on ED’s SONA
The embattled Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is set to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at 2:00 PM, as the country grapples with a faltering economy and growing internal divisions within the ruling Zanu-PF party.
The #Freedom Now movement has given its thoughts on what they expect from the address:
We the people of Zimbabwe expect the State of the Nation Address to speak to the following pressing issues. #FreedomNow
1. Democratization Agenda
@) A message on release of all political prisoners.
b) Steps towards enhancing judiciary independence
c) An end to police brutality
d) Implementation of the recommendations of SADC observer mission report of 2023 and other recommendations from other Observer missions
e) Implementation Mothlante Commission Report
f) Adherence to the Constitution
g) Scrapping of repressive laws
h) Democratization of the ballot
2. An End to Corruption.
SONA to articulate
a) Current levels of corruption
b) How Zimbabwe is losing out
c) How to eliminate political interference from the fight against corruption
d) Seizing assets and property procured from proceeds of corruption
e) Strengthening State institutions to impartially deal with corruption.
3. Education, Healthcare, Water, Housing, sanitation, social protection for all people
a) Implementation of State funded basic education in line S 75 of the Constitution
b) Loans and grants for Students in Tertiary Education.
c) Meeting Dakar commitment on budgetary allocation
d) Reversing Child marriages and dropouts from school and strengthening School feeding program
e) Improving Teacher Welfare.
f) Achieving Healthcare for all. Progress on cancer machines from sugar tax. Meeting Abuja declaration on funding healthcare. Improved welfare for healthcare workers.
g) Plan for providing housing to all Citizens
h) Addressing water and Sanitation deficits
I) Moratorium on payment for all social services to mitigate drought
H) Reducing prices of passports and making it easy for Citizens to access registration documents
4. Decent Jobs, inclusive growth and development
a) Protecting the informal economy and make it more viable with increased social protection.
b) Addressing Zig volatility and compensation of the loses incurred by working people through devaluation.
c) Introducing USD salaries
d) Creating jobs
e) Enhancing production as a precursor to a currency
f) Nationalization of strategic sectors of economy
g) Building a strong bureaucracy to lead economic planning and development
h) Introducing transparency and accountability in the management of the Mutapa Investment.
I) Enhancing efficiency in the running of all Parastatals
5. Land, Energy and mineral resources inclusive and sustainable utilization
a) Protecting positive gains of land reform and making land available to farmers not politicians.
b) Protect resettled farmers from evictions.
c) A strategy on increasing Agriculture output in the new farming season.
d) Protecting Small scale miners from greed politicians and big corporates.
e) Strengthening revenue collection from mining entities and increasing the role of State in extracting commodities.
f) Promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction
g) Eliminate the corruption on the petroleum pipeline, place pipeline in full control of the State reduce fuel prices to improve easy of doing business *#FreedomNow*
