Story by Online Reporter
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa says his administration will continue putting in place key e-Government infrastructure to modernise public administration and improve service delivery.
Addressing senior government officials in Harare during the announcement of the 2025 performance evaluation results and the signing of 2026 performance contracts, the President said digital transformation remains central to improving efficiency in the public sector.
“On its part, my Administration will continue to put in place other e-Government enterprise requirements. These include the ICT backbone infrastructure, bandwidth expansion, enhanced connectivity, procurement of tools of trade, as well as facilitation of training and deployment of requisite skills,” he said.
The ceremony marked the signing of 2026 performance contracts for ministers and senior public sector officials, as part of government’s thrust aimed at strengthening accountability and improving service delivery.
President Dr Mnangagwa said the initiative has become a permanent feature of the administrative calendar as Government pushes ahead with reforms aligned to the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and the broader Vision 2030 agenda.
“This ceremony marks the signing of the 2026 performance contracts and a key milestone in our public administrative and governance journey,” he said.
Government has expanded performance contracting in recent years as part of efforts to improve productivity, transparency and accountability across ministries, departments and agencies.
The President said new five-year strategic plans developed by Government institutions are aligned with the second phase of the national development strategy.
“Ministries, Departments and Agencies developed new five-year strategic plans that are fully aligned to NDS2, from which the 2026 annual strategic plans and performance contracts were crafted,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s performance contracting system has also drawn international recognition. President Mnangagwa said the approach was acknowledged during the recent African Peer Review Mechanism Forum of Heads of State and Government Summit as a notable governance practice promoting a results-oriented culture in the public sector.
The President linked the reforms to broader progress across sectors including agriculture, mining, infrastructure development and social services.
“It is commendable that the progress registered so far is partly due to the transformative results-based governance culture of the Second Republic,” he said.
As part of efforts to strengthen administrative systems, Government is also moving to automate the performance contracting framework.
“I urge the responsible Government Departments to accelerate the automation of the performance contracting system. This must ultimately fortify our management system and citizen interface for regular reviews and feedback,” President Mnangagwa said.
The shift to digital platforms is expected to support real-time decision-making and enable the integration of emerging technologies.
“The use of digital systems will also allow us to embrace Artificial Intelligence, among other contemporary technologies,” he said.
Last week, the President launched the Zimbabwe National Artificial Intelligence Strategy aimed at accelerating technological modernisation across sectors of the economy.
Government is also reviewing legal and institutional frameworks to strengthen public sector accountability, improve reporting standards and address corruption and inefficiency.
President Mnangagwa said the public service must continue building capacity in results-based management, while expanding performance contracting across different levels of government.
He also called for stronger collaboration among government institutions and stakeholders in implementing national development programmes.
“This is key to fostering joint programming and strategic partnerships that are essential to accelerating the realisation of our national development priority areas,” he said.
The President reminded public officials that the contracts they signed represent a commitment to citizens.
“As we append signatures to the performance contracts, let us always remember the ordinary citizens of our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe, whom we must serve wholeheartedly,” he said.
