Vice President Constantino Chiwenga Wednesday said the nation must not be reliant on foreign aid but rather strive to be self-sustenance, especially in COVID-19 times.
Speaking at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair In Bulawayo, Chiwenga said external support is not sustainable if the nation is to develop.
“One of the key lessons that we should, therefore, never forget from our COVID-19 experience is that a nation is more secure if it is really and able to rely on its own than foreign production,” Chiwenga said.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic must be a lesson that countries need to be self-reliant as every nation is faced with the same problem and prioritizing its needs first.
“Due to our historical circumstances, we must never lose sight of the economic emancipation imperatives. Our experiences since last year when the COVID-19 curse was reported, affirms that we must be our own economic liberators. We must lift our people out of poverty on our own,” he said.
“…COVID-19 came and left us in no doubt that the ability to locally produce most of what we require in our economy is the best way to chart the course to our shared vision of a future without poverty in our population,“ Chiwenga added.
Zimbabwe has been unable to receive traditional forms of foreign aid from organizations during the pandemic.
Due to the country’s economic situation, Zimbabwe’s foreign aid is much lower than what other countries in Africa receive.
