Social justice push gathers momentum

Joshua Muswere

Herald Correspondent

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) met in Harare yesterday to unpack the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

The Coalition is an initiative aimed at intensifying the country and region’s collective efforts to urgently address social justice deficits and to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Decent Work Agenda.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Service July Moyo, the visiting ILO director-general Mr Gilbert Houngbo, the body’s country representative for Zimbabwe and Namibia Ms Philile Masuku, Government officials and social partners.

Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Minister Moyo emphasised the positive impact the adoption of the Global Coalition for Justice could have for Zimbabwe and the region.

“This is an honour for Zimbabwe, and the Southern African Development Community, which is currently chaired by our President, and therefore we are now capable of transferring this to our colleagues in the SADC region”, said Minister Moyo.

“Not only just in employment, the labour sector, but in all sectors that are organised in business, in administration, the chair of the Public Service Commission and other Chairpersons of Public Service Commissions in the region, they can also learn from us on the issue of social justice and how we govern ourselves in the transition from the economy that we have, which now is going to be influenced by Artificial Intelligence.”

The essentiality of the Global Coalition for Social Justice was further brought into context by Ms Masuku.

“We realise that social justice has come under strain from a combination of overly overlapping crises and the acceleration of long-term structural economic transformations are making it harder to achieve social justice and SDGs,” she said.

“Social justice makes societies and economies function better, reduces poverty, inequalities and social tensions, and plays an important role in achieving shared prosperity, stability for peace and more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.”