Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
RUTENGA Growth Point in Mwenezi District, Masvingo Province, has been selected to host Zimbabwe’s 47th Independence Anniversary celebrations and the 2027 Children’s Party, Cabinet has announced.
The decision was made during the 19th Cabinet meeting of the year, chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Zhemu Soda said Cabinet approved Rutenga as the host venue in line with the rotational hosting framework for Independence celebrations.
“Masvingo Province will host the 47th Independence Anniversary Celebrations and the 2027 Children’s Party in line with the Cabinet directive on the Independence Celebrations rotational hosting sequence,” said Dr Soda.
He noted that President Mnangagwa had previously directed that priority be given to remote and previously underdeveloped areas when selecting host districts.
Dr Soda said Cabinet also considered Gonakudzingwa, a former detention camp in Chiredzi District, and Jenya Liberation War memorial site in Chivi District, as locations where the Independence Flame will be lit.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage will identify other areas of historical interest in the province and undertake the appropriate memorialisation programme,” he said.
Cabinet was also updated on progress made under the National Development Strategy, with 242 projects completed across the country in the infrastructure, housing and economic development sectors.
According to Dr Soda, 19 of the completed projects were implemented in previously marginalised communities following President Mnangagwa’s call to accelerate development in less-developed areas. These included projects in Binga, Kanyemba, Siakobvu, Tsholotsho and Nkayi.
Among the completed projects highlighted were the construction of the Binga Registry Complex, installation of X-ray machines in Harare Metropolitan, Manicaland and Midlands provinces, the 235-megawatt Hwange Thermal Power Plant and the 100-megawatt Massive Prestige Thermal Power Plant in Beitbridge.
Cabinet also approved a Memorandum of Understanding between Zimbabwe and Kenya on cooperation in the health sector. The agreement covers primary healthcare, reproductive and maternal health services, specialist referrals, laboratory services, blood services and public health emergency preparedness.
In addition, Cabinet received an update on President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s recent State Visit to Zimbabwe, during which several cooperation agreements were signed between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.
The developments form part of government efforts to strengthen infrastructure, deepen regional cooperation and advance the country’s Vision 2030 agenda.
