President Emmerson Mnangagwa has begged churches to complement Government efforts in running the country.

Mnangagwa said this while addressing thousands of congregants during the third edition of the annual National Thanksgiving and Dedication Service at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Grounds In Bulawayo.

He said the country’s economic growth hinges on collaboration between the Government and churches, among other players.

“Indeed, we recognise the important role played by the church as you intercede for peace, harmony, unity and development in our nation as well as for the country’s leadership in general. Guided by the Word of God, you the church have a vital role as we pursue the objectives of the national vision and confront a world with its many challenges,” said President Mnangagwa.

“Meanwhile, the Bible says in James 2 v 14, ‘Faith without works is dead.’ We recognise the many developmental projects and philanthropic works done by the churches of Zimbabwe in general. These include schools and health facilities dotted around the country and we acknowledge your contribution to various sectors of the economy.”

He urged churches to increase productivity in all their projects in pursuit of Vision 2030.

“We encourage you to increase productivity in all your respective projects, collectively as churches and in your individual pursuits. Vision 2030 depends on investment by each and every one of us for its success. Let us all put shoulder to the wheel and work for Genesis 3 v 19 says, ‘In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” said President Mnangagwa.

He urged churches to continue playing a key role in protecting society’s moral fibre through preaching the gospel of love, peace, justice and forgiveness at household and national level.

“A strong spiritual leadership is integral as it influences the nation’s conscience and curbs wayward tendencies,” said President Mnangagwa.

Turning to devolution, he urged churches to promote local economic development through the utilisation of local resources.

“God gave us dominion over all things here on earth. During our lifetime, let us be good stewards of all that has been put under our care for the benefit of generations to come. Let us leverage our God-given resources to grow our economy. As we accelerate the implementation of devolution, I urge the church to promote local economic development from ward level upwards, through the full utilisation of resources found within our communities,” he said.

President Mnangagwa reiterated that the country would not revert to the multi-currency system and urged citizen to embrace the local currency.

“No country can develop without its own currency. As you are aware, we are now using our own currency and I urge all of us to accept it, use it and be proud of it and also defend it from all forms of attack. There is no going back to the multi-currency system,” he said.

The President said his Government remains committed to transforming the economy into an upper middle income in line with Vision 2030, despite illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States, UK and their allies.

“As Government, we are accelerating our quest to speedily attain Vision 2030, to become a middle-income economy. In 2020, we will focus on ensuring higher productivity across all sectors of the economy, creating decent jobs, empowering our people and satisfying their needs to improve their standard of living,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said the programmes to ensure the availability of affordable transport and healthcare were ongoing, with more Zupco buses expected to be delivered in the coming weeks.

The President said the Government has ordered more drugs and equipment for health institutions.

He said the Government will continue to ensure that vulnerable communities access food relief, including speeding up the rehabilitation, development and modernisation of infrastructure.

President Mnangagwa also appealed to churches to pray for more rains and a good harvest in light of the impact of climate change.

He commended churches and the generality of Zimbabweans for embracing the national clean-up campaign, which is conducted every first Friday of the month.

“As we strive to restore a spirit of cleanliness in our nation, I am pleased to see that the church is playing an active role in the national clean-up programme. Deuteronomy 23 prescribes that there must be a designated place outside the camp where refuse is disposed of. In the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 7, we are instructed to cleanse ourselves from the rubbish that might cling to us,” said President Mnangagwa.

“We also thank the Lord for the enthusiasm with which Zimbabweans from all walks of life and of all ages have embraced this programme. The ultimate aim is for all of us to adopt new attitudes and habits by making sure that filth, including corruption cease to be a feature of our lifestyle, surroundings and communities.”