He made the remarks during his speech marking the official opening of the CEOs Roundtable in the resort town of Victoria Falls this morning.
President Mnangagwa challenged the private sector across the continent to participate in the people oriented socio-economic development being pushed by their respective governments.
“As we embark on this journey towards Africa’s renaissance, I exhort the private sector, both within Zimbabwe and across the continent, to actively participate in the people oriented socio-economic development agenda being advanced by our respective governments.
“The current crop of political leaders is willing and stands ready to facilitate the growth of a private sector that is deeply rooted in the continent,” President Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa underscored that Africa’s renaissance “lies in our unity and collective strength.”
Adding that “we should not expect other people to build our own country and continent. The Africa and Zimbabwe we all want must be built by ourselves; brick by brick and stone upon stone.”
He also said that in today’s world, shared experience and expertise were critical ingredients to leap frog the modernization, industrialization and development of the African continent.
“The inherent potential for growth within Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, premised on our rich natural endowments, youth dividend and entrepreneurial nature must be fully exploited. You as the private sector must take leadership in this regard.
To date us in SADC along with other regional economic communities are scaling up efforts towards seamless integration amongst countries in the continent. Zimbabwe is playing its part through facilitating trade and fostering socio-cultural cooperation,” he said.
He also challenged the private sector to grab the opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
