By Dr Masimba Mavaza- The Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa administration oversaw unprecedented changes to Zimbabwe’s global development programs and institutions during the last five years. With the next Zimbabwean presidential election underway, we take a close look at the legacy of his administration to help inform our communities’ thinking about what’s in store for the next administration — something I will be writing about extensively in the coming weeks.
A Great Society” for the Zimbabwean people and their fellow men elsewhere was the vision of Emmerson Dambudzo MNANGAGWA. In his first years of office, he obtained passage of one of the most extensive legislative programs in the Nation’s history. Maintaining collective security, he carried on the rapidly growing struggle to maintain peace in Zimbabwe in the face of provocative forces.

MNANGAGWA made Zimbabwe self-sufficient in food. He introduced Pfumvudza
UNDER PFUMVUDZA
Sorghum adapts well under low rainfall areas normally associated with high temperatures. The drought tolerance, short season characteristics and adaptability to various soils are its main advantages.
Pfumvudza is a concept of conservation agriculture (CA) that is designed to meet food security for an average household of six members over one year. All the CA principles are applied “on time, at standard, without wastage and with joy” on a plot measuring 39m x 16m, which represents 1/16th of a hectare. This was the masterpiece in food security which MNANGAGWA oversaw.
By improving agriculture, it ensured a provision of employment in that sector.
Agricultural activities provide employment an income for 60-70 per cent of the population, supply 60 percent of the raw materials required by the industrial sector and contribute 40 percent of total export earnings. Agriculture contributes approximately 17 per cent to Zimbabwe’s GDP.
In his term of office MNANGAGWA developed infrastructure such as dams, irrigation systems, airports, border posts, bridges and roads to grow the economy.
In Mnangagwa’s term of office, the Quality of service has improved across the board. The power system has bounced back to normal unjustifiable costly, inefficient, and unreliable conditions have become a thing of the past. The state of roads, which has deteriorated to the point that Zimbabwe has become a bottleneck on the North-South transport corridor, has improved with the construction of almost all highways in Zimbabwe. Rural connectivity, which hardly existed, has improved.
Success in treating potable water and the great improvement in the water, sanitation, and garbage disposal systems has helped fight cholera. Looking ahead, Zimbabwe faces several important infrastructure developments. President Mnangagwa has increased power generation using Chinese technology to overcome US sanctions. According to Zimbabwe Power Company, the country’s power generation has recently increased to about 1 600MW from an average of below 600MW in March this year. The power utility indicated that the total power generated stood at 1 530MW. Zimbabweans have welcomed improved electricity supply across the country after Hwange Thermal Power Station started performing at its best in the last week, generating 740 megawatts, a 10-fold increase on the mere 74MW that was being generated in late February.
The increased power generation has brought joy to both domestic and industrial consumers who had been enduring long hours of load-shedding since the last quarter of 2022
His policies have ensured sufficient fuel availability, eliminating fuel queues.
He has revived key industries like CSC and ZISCO and is working on David White Head.
He commissioned Africa’s largest steel plant in Manhize.
The president has attracted foreign investment. Foreign investors may invest in any sector of the economy of Zimbabwe, save for certain classes of business reserved in favour of Zimbabwean citizens, as contained in the First Schedule to the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act (“IEE Act”) and the existing non-conforming measures as set out in section 3.
He has increased GDP by $10 billion since taking office.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Zimbabwe was worth 20.68 billion US dollars in 2022, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of Zimbabwe represents 0.01 per cent of the world economy. This has seen a big growth achieved only in five years.
He achieved Zimbabwe’s first trade surplus since 2000. In recent years, Zimbabwe has seen a systemic trade surplus due to increased exports. The main export is tobacco (23 per cent of total exports). Others include gold, nickel (20 per cent), diamonds and platinum. Zimbabwe’s main trading partners are South Africa and China.
Zimbabwe has set record-breaking tobacco and wheat production.
Zimbabwe set its largest wheat harvest in 2022, which reached 375,000 tons, making the landlocked country in southern Africa a self-sufficient agricultural powerhouse, which is a unique performance on the continent.
The harvest in 2022 was 13% higher than the previous year, breaking a half-century-old record. The area sown to wheat has increased by 10%, and, above all, the state has set up a policy of distributing fertilizer and buying crops via a public body, the Grain Marketing Board, which has won over farmers. Hence, Zimbabwe no longer needs to import wheat to meet its needs, saving up to 300 million dollars in import costs. In the current context, where African countries suffer from the absence or high price of Russian and Ukrainian wheat, Zimbabwe stands out for its proactive policy. Thanks to MNANGAGWA Zimbabwe has regained its bread basket title.
President Mnangagwa is a President who listens and demonstrates tolerance, allowing for free speech. Zimbabwe underwent a Government transition ushering in the Second Republic.
As soon as President Mnangagwa assumed the seat as the Head of State and Government, he pledged to oversee a democratic Zimbabwe that would uphold basic human rights, tolerate a multiparty political system, enforce a democratic voting system, respect the rule of law, ensure democratic government and embrace citizen participation.

It boggles the mind to find blinkered individuals choosing not to see the progress slowly but surely transforming Zimbabwe. Rebuilding this country is not an event but a process that requires all hands on deck and people to think outside the box and stop politicizing every challenge.
Emmerson MNANGAGWA has empowered artisanal miners, resulting in the emergence of black-owned, black-funded gold mining companies in Zimbabwe.
In the last five years, Mnangagwa has helped create many black millionaires.
Five years is a relatively brief period, but it is easy to forget the absolute tumult that greeted President Mnangagwa as he stepped into the presidency in August 2018. The global economy was being shaken to its core.
It could have been a promising environment for a president to make substantial commitments on the global development front. And Why do we need to give him another 5 years?
He values and respects Zimbabwe’s heritage, heroes and rituals, as evident through his recognition of the Mutapa Empire and the erection of the Nehanda Shrine.
In five years, Mnangagwa has made tremendous contributions to Zimbabwe. It is not asking for too much to vote Mnangwa as your president. Give him his five years. Zimbabwe has to be a middle-income country by 2030. This is only possible with ED.
Let us build our country.