By Wallace Mawire
Church and civil society actors in Zimbabwe have convened a national dialogue on financing for development as part of a broader civil society initiative to localize and shape Zimbabwe’s position ahead of the Fourth United Nations Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) to be held in Seville, Spain, from 30 June to 3 July 2025.
ActionAid Zimbabwe in partnership with Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) convened the meeting which was held under the theme “Reclaiming Fiscal Justice: Zimbabwe’s Path to Equitable and Inclusive Financing for Sustainable Development.”
The dialogue brought together a diverse range of civil society stakeholders, including women’s rights organizations, youth groups movements and civil society organizations.
Key thematic sessions included domestic resource mobilization and tax Justice, gender-responsive and Inclusive Financing, sovereign debt and debt Sustainability including climate finance and resilience building.
In his opening remarks, Joy Mabenge, ActionAid Zimbabwe Country Director said they
Convened the dialogue not just as stakeholders in development, but rights holders and advocates determined to ensure that Zimbabwe’s voice and priorities are boldly represented at the global Financing for Development Conference FfD4 set to take place in Seville, Spain.
Mabenge said the timing of the discussions could not be more urgent as the country and many across the Global South face a convergence of crises which include a debt burden that is growing unsustainable, rising inequality, a climate emergency and a global financial system that continues to marginalize developing countries.
He said Zimbabwe is experiencing firsthand the consequences of the intersecting injustices as communities are still reeling from the impact of El Niño-induced drought, public services are strained and despite people’s resilience, women, youth and the most marginalized continue to bear the greatest burden.
Mabenge said the theme of FfD4 “Advancing Sustainable Finance: Towards a Fairer International Financial Architecture” asks them not only to reflect, but toact.
He said across the globe, civil society actors, governments and rights-based movements are demanding real alternatives to austerity, exploitative debt, and harmful tax systems.
‘We are calling for a global economy that prioritizes people over profits, public services over privatization and planet over pollution,” Mabenge said.
He said in Zimbabwe, citizens must seize the moment to craft bold, unified and rights-based recommendations on the issues that matter most to communities.
The issues he highlighted include domestic resource mobilization and progressive taxation that does not overburden the poor,debt justice and a shift from short-term bailouts to long-term sovereign solutions,climate finance that is accessible, predictable and grounded in justice,gender-responsive and inclusive financing that centers the leadership of women, girls and young people and transparency and accountability on how public resources are raised, allocated and spent.
Mabenge said the dialogue is more than a technical conversation, but an act of solidarity, a political opportunity and a chance to shape a vision of financing that is fair, feminist and future-oriented.
He implored government representatives, youth leaders, women’s rights advocates and civil society partners to treat the engagement as a platform to speak truth to power.
‘We cannot afford to replicate policies that have failed our people for decades. Let us boldly recommend what we, as Zimbabweans, want to see in Seville and beyond,”Mabenge said.
He said his organization, ActionAid Zimbabwe remains committed to working with all stakeholders to amplify the voices, build collective power and advance transformative financing alternatives that can help deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.
John Maketo, ZIMCODD Executive Director said to the dialogue nothing must be people without the people.
He said financing for development must be shaped by the voices of those who bear the brunt of exclusion and poverty.
“We cannot fund sustainable development with unsustainable systems.The global financial system needs a radical transformation rooted in equity, transparency and justice,’ he said.
Maketo said development must be people-driven, not profit-led.
He said finance for development must be about financing dignity, rights and the future that people want.
He said the finance for development process must correct historical power imbalances that have left African countries indebted, under-resourced and structurally disadvantaged in the global economy through reparations and debt cancellation. Nothing about us without Nothing about us without us. Financing for development must be shaped by the voices of those who bear the brunt of exclusion and poverty. us. Financing for development must be shaped by the voices of those who bear the br
