President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called on young people to be innovative and fully utilise the country’s available resources to drive national development.
Speaking during the burial of the late national hero, Air Commodore (RTD) Simon Brian Bere, this Monday at the National Heroes Acre, President Mnangagwa emphasized that youths must take a leading role in emerging technological fields, particularly artificial intelligence.
“Your battleground is now the digital economy, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors, among others. I urge you to occupy the domains of artificial intelligence, robotics, and other modern fields of human endeavour. Never shy away from the challenges and opportunities before you,” he said.
Zimbabwe has experienced rapid progress in connectivity and mobile innovation, despite ongoing structural limitations such as infrastructure gaps, high costs, and limited investment. Rather than following traditional development paths seen in more advanced economies, the country has evolved into a mobile-first, adaptive tech ecosystem shaped by both necessity and innovation.
President Mnangagwa also reiterated the importance of land and horticulture, stressing that these sectors require dedication and hard work as they are critical to national development.
“As we implement National Development Strategy 2, our farmers must recognise that our land, plots, agricultural business units, and horticulture fields are the present-day trenches. In both good and lean seasons, we must feed the nation and guarantee food self-sufficiency as a key component of national security and sovereignty,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), covering the period 2026-2030, builds on the foundation laid by NDS1. It aims to accelerate growth, modernization, and industrialisation as the country works toward achieving upper-middle-income status by 2030.
The President also said it is the responsibility of citizens to deliver transformative results that benefit all Zimbabweans.
“These are the traits we must learn from our dearly departed heroes and heroines who fought for the independence, freedom, and democracy we enjoy today,” he said.
Air Commodore (RTD) Simon Brian Bere, aged 67, passed away on April 24, 2026, in Zambia, where he had been receiving medical treatment. He is survived by his wife, Regina, and three children.
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