Staff Reporter
Reports have emerged alleging that certain international media outlets and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working overtime to discredit the Government's infrastructure developments, labelling them as misplaced priorities.
A source who spoke to this publication indicated that publications such as The Africa Report are running stories suggesting that the Government is diverting resources to infrastructure projects while citizens are suffering from hunger.
"The Africa Report is publishing stories that make it seem as though the Government is pouring resources into infrastructure developments while people are dying of hunger. This misinformation is being supplied by Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) Chairperson Peter Mutasa, who is collaborating with some Western embassies to undermine the significant progress the Government is making across the country," the source revealed.
The source continued, "Mutasa and his cohorts are actively working to water down the massive developments initiated by the Government, despite the tangible improvements being made in infrastructure that benefit the entire nation."
Development expert Patricia Sibanda criticized the efforts to discredit the Government's initiatives, emphasizing that the infrastructure development began long before the upcoming SADC Summit and will continue thereafter.
"People like Mutasa should understand that the infrastructure development happening in the country started well before the coming of the SADC Summit. The Government has reiterated that these developments will continue even after the summit. It's clear that these infrastructure projects are part of a long-term strategy to improve the nation's overall development and are not just for show," Sibanda stated.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trusts, Shalvar Chikomba, called on the media and all citizens to focus on publicizing the positive developments rather than dwelling on the negatives.
"The media and everyone should put efforts into publicizing the Government's developmental activities instead of focusing on the negatives. It's not entirely correct that people are dying of hunger as the Government is distributing food to the vulnerable across the country. These baseless claims only serve to undermine the hard work being done to uplift the nation," Chikomba asserted.
Chikomba continued, "Government's food distribution programs are in full swing, ensuring that the vulnerable populations are taken care of. It's important for all stakeholders to acknowledge these efforts and work together to support further development."
As Zimbabwe continues to enhance its infrastructure, the Government's commitment to sustainable development remains strong, despite the attempts to discredit these efforts.
