Govt creates 2,2m jobs, says ED

Source: Govt creates 2,2m jobs, says ED | The Herald  May 23, 2017

Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent-
Government has surpassed the two million employment opportunities that
were promised by President Mugabe in the run up to the 2013 elections
through Command Agriculture, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has
said. In interview on the sidelines of a tour of African Chrome Fields in
Kwekwe, VP Mnangagwa said Command Agriculture contributed immensely in
employment creation in the country and would create more jobs in the
downstream industry.

VP Mnangagwa said the country had created in excess of two million jobs
through Command Agriculture and other various sectors of the economy,
particularly the mining sector.

He said more jobs were set to be created through the recently launched
Command Aquaculture and Command Livestock programmes.

“We have exceeded 2,2 million jobs,” said VP Mnangagwa. “Look at the
volume of people who are engaged in Command Agriculture. We recently
launched Command Agriculture and there are a lot of people who are going
to be employed in that area.

“We have also introduced Command Livestock and we think we are in excess
of two million jobs.”

VP Mnangagwa said Government would first demarcate the red and green zones
in cattle farming by quarantining cattle in the red zone through fencing,
which would be funded by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

“Cabinet approved the programme on the 9th of May, so now the Minister of
Agriculture (Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Joseph Made) is
rolling out the programme and people will come voluntarily to the
programme,” he said.

“This one is a bit different from Command Agriculture, some fences that
divide the green and the red zones in terms of cattle farming, Government
will provide that.”

VP Mnangagwa said Government would also supply farmers willing to join the
programme with dip tanks and paddocks.
He said Command Livestock would include piggery, poultry, mutton, fish,
cattle farming and many other forms of livestock.

“If you are a farmer and you want to venture into animal husbandry, you
need paddocks, dip tanks and we will supply it,” said VP Mnangagwa. “We
are maintaining an open door policy just like we did in command
agriculture when we were mainly focusing on crop.

“We are giving farmers a loan facility, which they will pay in at least
three years and the maximum is five years. We are also going to include
dairy farmers.”

VP Mnangagwa said the country should take advantage of the increase in
chrome prices and demand on the international market to produce more.

He said Zimbabwe had over 2,1 billion metric tonnes of chrome deposits,
which if properly utilised, would contribute significantly towards the $3
billion mineral export target for this year.