We have halved poverty in Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa tells leaders are World Summit

ZIMBABWE has cut poverty by nearly half since 1995, President Mnangagwa told the World Summit for Social Development yesterday, marking one of Africa’s most remarkable achievements in poverty reduction in recent decades.

The percentage of Zimbabweans in poverty dropped from 62 to 38,3 between 1995 and 2019, while primary school enrolment reached 88 percent, indicating dramatic improvements in living standards for millions of Zimbabweans.

The announcement comes as Zimbabwe seeks international support for its bid for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat and reforms to global financial systems that hinder further progress.

Addressing the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, a high-level gathering focused on reviving progress towards global poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth, President Mnangagwa said despite facing challenges such as climate change and punitive economic sanctions, Zimbabwe is recording progress through people-tailored policies responsive to their needs.

This has been anchored on flagship Government financed programmes such as the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) that pays fees for 1,5 million learners annually, including children with disabilities, the Health Assistance Fund, which ensures access to healthcare for vulnerable citizens, and smart agriculture policies and programmes that have ensured food security.

“In Zimbabwe, our national commitment is informed by the Constitution, which enshrines equality, social justice and the right to development,” he said.

“These principles are operationalised through Vision 2030 and our national development blueprint (the National Development Strategy). They are also reflected in our foreign policy of engagement and re-engagement, which is grounded in sovereign equality, peaceful cooperation, solidarity and mutual respect among nations.

“On poverty eradication: Zimbabwe has made headway towards reducing poverty and improving access to education, healthcare and social protection. Poverty levels declined from 62 percent in 1995 to 38,3 percent in 2019.”

Primary school enrolment has risen to 88 percent, while adult literacy is 93,6 percent and life expectancy is at 64,7 years.

Massive investment in climate-smart agriculture has led to successive bumper harvests in cash crops such as tobacco, improving the lives and livelihoods of many, while the country is now self-sufficient in wheat production with a surplus for exports.

To provide social safety nets for the vulnerable, President Mnangagwa’s administration has digitised social registries, thus ensuring no one and no place is left behind.

The President said that the summit, which will culminate in the adoption of a Doha Declaration, should also lead to the reform of the world governance and financial architecture that is presently skewed towards a few countries at the expense of the majority.

“However, progress remains constrained by coercive measures and unilateral sanctions imposed on us, climate shocks and restricted access to development finance.

“Zimbabwe, therefore, calls for reform of the international financial architecture, debt relief and enhanced development financing, consistent with the Seville Commitment on Financing for Development,” he said.

The Seville Commitment is an agreement from the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development that calls for a global reform of the financial architecture to support sustainable development.

It places emphasis on the need for greater, more equitable access to finance for developing countries, sustainable investment and the role of development banks in promoting innovation and addressing challenges like climate change and inequality.

The commitment aims to close the US$4 trillion annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals and sets out a high-level agenda for future action, though some observers note its commitments are currently non-binding.

On job creation and decent work, which is a key thematic area of the summit, the President said they are central to Zimbabwe’s development strategy. The country had been promoting this through the National Employment Policy Framework and Decent Work Country Programme for enterprise development, skills training and infrastructure investment.

“The 2024 Labour Force Survey shows unemployment at 20,5 percent, down from over 30 percent in the mid-1990s. Modernising and reforming the Labour Act are ongoing, along with the strengthening of inspection systems and promotion of social dialogue through the Tripartite Negotiating Forum.

“Zimbabwe also participates in the ILO Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, advancing green jobs, youth employment and women’s empowerment.”

Turning to the social inclusion and equality front, the President said these are both constitutional and moral imperatives, with policies such as the National Social Protection Policy, the Disability Policy Gender Policy and Devolution Framework seeking to achieve the sustainable empowerment of communities so that no one and no place is left behind.

“Through our Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model, we are promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, while the Women’s Bank and Youth Empowerment Bank provide concessional finance. Women now hold leadership roles in every sector of society, reflecting progress toward gender parity.

“Our development philosophy, which entrenches the belief that the duty to build, modernise and industrialise our country is the responsibility of all citizens, continues to inspire national unity and stewardship, a shared vision, hard work and collective responsibility,” he said.

Sustainable development could not take root in an unequal global order and the President called for the recognition of Africa’s special circumstances, accompanied with the reforms of the international financial architecture and total removal of unilateral coercive measures, which undermine development and violate international law.

For social development, the President said the family unit remained the cornerstone of social cohesion and shared values.

“We must empower women, youth and families to drive inclusive growth and inter-generational solidarity.”

The President also used the summit to drum up support for the country’s bid for a United Nations Security Council non-permanent seat.

The President meets Mozambican Prime Minister Her Excellency Maria Benvinda Levi on the sidelines of the summit
“Let the Doha Declaration reignite hope for the many peoples of the world still waiting for justice and dignity. Let it affirm that development is not a privilege but a universal right.

“Zimbabwe is a friend to all and enemy to none. We stand ready to work with all nations to build a peaceful, just, fair, more inclusive and sustainable world where no one and no place is left behind. To this end, Zimbabwe has submitted its bid to join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for the term 2027-2028. We count on your support,” he said.

Zimbabwe needs a two thirds majority in the General Assembly to win the seat.

Apart from addressing the summit, the President also held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

He rounded off his hectic schedule at the summit with a roundtable discussion on “strengthening the three pillars of social development, poverty eradication, full and productive employment and decent work for all and social inclusion”.

During the roundtable, the President told global leaders that the three pillars of social development under discussion were foundational for people-centred development and lasting prosperity.

“In Zimbabwe, these pillars are firmly embedded in our Vision of becoming a prosperous and upper middle-income society by 2030 and our ongoing National Development Strategy 1 and upcoming National Development Strategy 2. We are implementing bold and transformative policies that drive economic growth, promote social justice and empower our citizens especially youth, women, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other vulnerable groups,” said the President.