Mashonaland West provincial leaders gathered this week in Chinhoyi for an in-depth review of the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), spotlighting both commendable progress and persistent challenges as Zimbabwe advances toward its Vision 2030 goals.
The interface meeting brought together key sectoral heads who presented performance updates under the government’s “whole-of-government” approach. In agriculture, notable strides were highlighted, especially in winter wheat production. According to Provincial Agritex Officer Mrs Evelyn Ndoro, the province exceeded its target of 34,500 hectares by 3%, reaching 35,525 hectares, with a projected yield of 5.2 tonnes per hectare slightly short of the desired 5.5 due to delayed input disbursements.
The tobacco sector also reported promising developments. With 19 contractors currently operating in the province, 97 million kilograms of tobacco have been sold, valued at USD 314,357. However, authorities are cracking down on farmers failing to destroy tobacco stalks post-harvest, which could lead to pest outbreaks.
On the health front, the province is grappling with a malaria surge over 23,000 cases and 75 deaths since January. Makonde and Hurungwe are the most affected. Provincial Medical Director Dr Celestino Dhege said outreach campaigns, radio programs, and health education initiatives are ongoing to curb the spread.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. Marian Chombo, called for stronger collaboration among ministries, agencies, and community players to ensure efficient NDS1 delivery. She urged provincial heads to lead from the front and avoid delegating critical tasks, stressing that “effective coordination is the backbone of impactful development.”
As Zimbabwe’s third-largest provincial contributor to GDP, Mashonaland West aims to lead national transformation by example making its NDS1 implementation crucial to the country’s march toward an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
