Story by Oleen Ndori
CABINET ministers and senior government officials recognised at this year’s performance contracts and awards ceremony in Harare this Monday, have reaffirmed their commitment to working towards the attainment of an upper-middle income society by 2030.
While launching the performance contracts in 2021, President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa emphasised that the initiative is guided by the principle: “What Gets Measured Gets Done.”
This focus on accountability and results has remained a cornerstone of the Second Republic’s governance approach.
The Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi, was the best performing Minister for the year 2025, owing to her contribution to the growth of the tourism sector by 10 percent, hence raising Zimbabwe’s profile among the top travel destinations across the globe, as acknowledged by US publication, Forbes Magazine.
Honourable Rwodzi was recently named Best African Tourism Minister at the 2026 ITB Berlin.
The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, was named the second best-performing minister, while the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi, secured third position.
Vice Presidents, General Rtd Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Colonel Rtd Dr Kembo Mohadi said the result-driven approach encourages excellence and accountability.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya and Public Service Commission Chairperson, Dr Vincent Hungwe, also spoke about the significance of the awards.
The introduction of the performance based contracts by government is one of the key tools being used to measure execution of duties by public servants, and according to the African Peer Review Mechanism delegation that was in the country in late 2025,this mechanism has played an integral role in how the country is performing in its sustainable development particularly with regards to economic governance and management.
The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Vangelis Haritatos, was awarded first place for the ministry’s continued growth in the sector, while the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Joshua Sacco, was ranked second, and Honourable Nobert Mazungunye, Deputy Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, secured third place.
