On April 18, 1980, the fall of the British colonial flag marked Zimbabwe’s long-awaited political independence.
We raised our own national flag, sang our national anthem, and formed a democratically elected government—finally, the African people of Zimbabwe took the reins of their own nation.
Yet history makes it unequivocally clear: political independence does not equate to total independence.
The land provisions enshrined in the Lancaster House Agreement essentially preserved a colonial economic structure, retaining external dominance over the country’s economic power and land resources long after formal independence was declared.
It is for this reason that the land reform launched in 2000 was no arbitrary act, but an inevitable continuation of our national liberation struggle—the second Chimurenga aimed at correcting historical injustices and returning land to its indigenous people.
The prolonged Western sanctions imposed thereafter, often framed under the guise of human rights concerns, are in essence a punishment and containment of an African nation’s sovereign right to choose its own development path.
Over the past 46 years, Zimbabwe has traversed an arduous yet unwavering path.
We have not only restructured ownership of land, agriculture and mining, but also gradually built a sovereign system of our own in education, culture, infrastructure and finance.
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As we look ahead to the 50th anniversary of independence in 2030, our goal remains clear and resolute: to achieve full liberation across political, economic, ideological and spiritual dimensions.
Land is the foundation of Zimbabwe’s national dignity and economic independence.
Prior to the reform, prime agricultural land was highly concentrated in the hands of a small minority, excluding the vast majority of indigenous citizens from the core production system.
Land reform fundamentally reversed this inequitable dynamic:
- The number of tobacco farmers surged from approximately 2 000 predominantly white commercial farmers to over 140 000 indigenous smallholder farmers;
- Annual tobacco output has risen steadily, with export earnings increasing significantly compared to the pre-reform era;
- The colonial myth that “only white farmers could cultivate high-quality tobacco” has been thoroughly debunked.
Indigenous smallholder farmers have not only become the backbone of national agriculture, but also a stabilising force in the country’s economy.
Admittedly, the reform process brought short-term challenges including production fluctuations, human capital outflow and economic adjustments—real hurdles inherent in any national transformation.
Crucially, we did not backtrack, but stayed committed to a people-centered approach, continuously improving land property rights and boosting agricultural productivity.
Gold and other mineral resources were long controlled by foreign capital and privileged groups, leaving indigenous operators trapped at the bottom of the industrial chain.
With policy support and wider access to appropriate mining technologies, local miners and small-scale mine operators have truly gained a stake in the value creation of our national resources.
Today, small-scale gold production contributes more than 60% of the country’s total gold output, becoming a vital source of foreign exchange earnings.
The upcoming amendment to the Mines and Minerals Act will further prioritize community benefit-sharing, environmental accountability and local development, shifting the mining sector from raw resource exports to deep processing and high-value-added production—ensuring resource dividends stay within the country and benefit all citizens.
The colonial education system was designed to cultivate compliant laborers, not independent-thinking nation-builders.
The recent rollout of the 5.0 Education Framework and Heritage Education represents a profound correction of this historical structural flaw.
Rooted in five pillars—teaching, research, community service, innovation and industrialization—the 5.0 Education Framework aligns education with the real needs of national development.
Heritage education, meanwhile, centres the history of Great Zimbabwe, the Munhumutapa Empire, Rozvi Kingdom, Ndebele Kingdom and our liberation struggle, enabling younger generations to reconnect with their own civilisation, languages and ancestral wisdom.
This is not isolationism, but rebuilding national self-confidence.
A nation can only achieve true spiritual independence when its people embrace their own history and inherent values from within.
Faced with external interference and sanctions pressure, Zimbabwe has refined key legislations including the Patriotic Act and the Private Voluntary Organisation (PVO) Amendment Act, sparking some international media controversy.
From a sovereign national perspective, however, no country tolerates individuals or organizations colluding with external forces to incite sanctions, destabilize national order or push for regime change.
The core intent of these laws is to regulate funding sources and safeguard national stability, not suppress legitimate freedom of expression.
Striking a balance between openness and national security is a universal choice for all sovereign nations.
Since the advent of the Second Republic, a series of landmark infrastructure projects have been completed and commissioned: the new Parliament Building, modern interchanges, airport expansion, water conservancy projects and power station upgrades, all of which have continuously improved people’s livelihoods and the business environment.
Our long-standing “Look East” policy, once ridiculed and isolated, has now become a common choice of the Global South.
Cooperation with emerging partners such as China, focused on infrastructure, financing, technology and trade, has helped Zimbabwe break through sanctions blockades and address critical development gaps.
This partnership is always based on equality, mutual benefit and respect for national sovereignty, with no political strings attached—a fundamental norm of international relations we firmly uphold.
Under prolonged sanctions, international payment systems such as SWIFT and global card networks have often been weaponized as geopolitical tools.
In response, Zimbabwe is actively diversifying its payment channels, exploring the Renminbi Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) and promoting UnionPay settlement, to reduce over-reliance on single currencies and external payment systems.
At the same time, the government is striving to stabilize the local currency ZiG and develop a domestic capital market, formalising and monetizing the widespread informal cash assets to enhance economic resilience.
The 46th independence anniversary marks a milestone, not a final destination.
As we strive toward the 50th independence anniversary in 2030, we still carry a vital national mission:
- Continue land tenure regularisation to secure long-term rights and interests for farmers;
- Achieve national food security and full coverage of irrigation networks;
- Promote deep processing of lithium, platinum and other minerals to boost domestic manufacturing;
- Deepen decolonised national narratives, advance the renaming of historical heritage and public spaces, and honor sacred national sites;
- Build digital sovereignty and develop domestic data platforms and digital economy;
- Actively integrate into multilateral mechanisms such as BRICS to elevate our voice on the global stage.
Zimbabwe has never bowed to sanctions and external pressure. We have endured hyperinflation, human capital flight and external demonisation, yet we have also accomplished land restitution, agricultural restructuring, mining revitalisation and educational transformation.
Political independence was achieved long ago, economic independence is steadily advancing, and ideological and spiritual independence is taking deep root.
A truly autonomous, confident and self-reliant Zimbabwe is emerging.
Happy 46th independence anniversary, Zimbabwe.
Our best days are still ahead.
*Saxon Zvina is the principal consultant at Skyworld Consultancy Services Email:[email protected] |X:@saxonzvina2
