admin
Abel Zhakata : Senior Reporter
THE $40 million Willowton Zimbabwe cooking oil processing plant in Mutare is up and running with most of its production components having been successfully tested to start production.
Although final touches were being made on the cooking oil processor, technicians said the soap making plant and various other components were now complete.
“We are now making soap ready to feed the market but the cooking oil unit will be complete within a week. In October everything will be fully operational.
“No recruitments have been done so far and we hope in the coming few days people will be employed in preparation of full production,” said one of the technicians who requested anonymity citing protocol.
Efforts to get a comment from the project manager, Mr Bruce Henderson, were fruitless as he was said to be locked up in a series of meeting.
At the beginning of last month Mr Henderson said the plant will start producing in October saying they will, in the initial stages, import crude oil which will be processed to come with their trademark D’lite cooking oil as well as soap.
When the Business Post visited the plant this week several haulage trucks laden with crude oil queued outside waiting to offload the raw materials.
More than 100 job seekers also waited outside the plant premises hoping to get employment anytime.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has reiterated that the cooking oil processing plant would bring business opportunities to the city when it starts operating.
In terms of employment, more than 100 workers will be employed directly with more jobs created downstream.
The project was granted the National Project Status because of the immense contribution it will have in improving the country’s economy.
This is the second project in the Manicaland together with Greenfuel in Chisumbanje to be accorded that status.
The cooking oil plant is expected to breathe life into Mutare’s dying industry following the closure of many companies due to harsh economic challenges.
Notable companies that closed shop include Mutare Board and Paper Mills and Karina Textiles while several factories sized down operations resulting in massive job cuts that resulted in thousands of workers being thrown onto the streets.
Willowton Zimbabwe Private Limited is a subsidiary of South Africa-based Willowton Group. The group manufactures a wide range of products which include dibble oils, margarines and spreads, toiletries, laundry and bathing soaps, candles, chocolates, baking and industrial fats.
Willowton acquired former Karina Textiles premises to house its oil plant that is expected to produce close to half a million litres of edible oils per day.
Online Reporter