Minister of Public Service labor and Social Welfare, Prisca Mupfumira has called on stakeholders including civil society, United Nations Country Team and the private sector, to collaborate and compliment government efforts in ending poverty.
In a speech read on her behalf by Erasmus Gapara, Human Resources Director in the Ministry of Public Service Labor and Social Welfare, Mupfumira said government is working to eliminate poverty through improving the socio economic status of vulnerable and poor people.
“I am glad that the government and its partners have begun moving away from implementing humanitarian assistance programmes which only seek to protect households in the event of shocks whilst remaining vulnerable to unfavorable environment and disasters whenever they occur.
“We have started placing emphasis on linking emergency aid to long term development through resilience building and livelihoods strengthening,” said Mupfumira.
She added that Zimbabwe has registered economic growth since 2009 though it has not contributed to increase in employment and job creation or a decline in poverty.
“Zimbabwe has registered economic growth since 2009 but the growth has not contributed to increase in employment and job creation or a decline in poverty.
“Poor performance of the agriculture sector due to recurrent droughts has also contributed immensely to the declining economy,” said Mupfumira.
She added that African countries including Zimbabwe are still a long way from ending poverty.
Speaking at the same event, a United Nations representative, Mr Adolphus Chinomwe, said Zimbabwe like many other countries continued to fight endemic poverty and decent work deficits.
“Progress has been made in the last two decades, with extreme poverty falling from more than a third in 1995 to about a fifth in 2012.
“Despite these gains, two of three Zimbabweans remain in poverty. Poverty manifests itself through high levels of vulnerable employment and informality, inadequate access to education, health and nutrition.
“Women and young people make up the bulk of those left behind and bear the brunt of the many vices associated with poverty,” said Chinomwe.
