By Senior Reporter
Government should collaborate with the church and other stakeholders in order to promote economic growth of the nation.
This was said by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the 4th edition of the National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service (NTDS) held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Grounds in Bulawayo yesterday.
This year’s NTDS theme was “Celebrating the Nation’s Progress towards Vision 2030” which the President described as “most appropriate and inspiring”.
“On our part as Government, we have chosen the spiritually correct path of working with the church in pursuit of our vision. Thus, as Zimbabwe, we shall serve the Lord sincerely and faithfully. Going forward, I urge churches to emerge in 2021 and beyond as proponents, guarantors and implementers of our national development agenda.
“To this end, let me reiterate that the synergies between the church and the State must flourish and become more evident to our people. This can only be achieved if the church understands, appreciates, embraces and blesses and makes energetic efforts to etch Vision 2030 in the hearts and minds of our people.” said President Mnangagwa.
The President explained to the gathered congregants the success of the Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP) and said they should now support the new economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“In this regard, the Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP) has recorded greater success in ushering in macro-economic fundamentals such as the stabilization of the economy, enabling further important developments across the sectors of the economy.
“I thus call upon the church and citizenry at large to ride on the TSP momentum as we set to implement our 2021-2025 National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1). On this standing our trust in the Lord remain unfettered, for he has plans to prosper us as a people as we deploy our qualities of hard and honest work,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa further said that Zimbabwe’s progress depends on peace in our neighboring countries and urged the church to continue praying for a lasting solution to insurgences happening in other countries.
President Mnangagwa showed his knowledge of the Scriptures as he extensively quoted from the Holy Bible throughout his address.
He further said that Zimbabweans were all equal and there are no more significant or less people as we are all equal citizens of the country.
On Covid 19, the country should continue complying with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines as outlined by the Government to curb the spread of Covid-19 and urged the nation to double its prayers so that the deadly pandemic will not extensively ravage the country.
The NTDS which is now in its fourth years since its launch in 2017 was graced by various leaders of churches including the leader of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi and Apostle Andrew Wutawunashe, the founder of the Family of God Church (FOG) and chairman of Faith for the Nation Campaign.
Both Bishop Mutendi and Apostle Wutawunashe urged people to continue supporting President Mnangagwa’s call for peace, unity and love among Zimbabweans.
