Nqobile Bhebhe, Zimpapers Writer
GOVERNMENT has been urged to accelerate industrialisation in Matabeleland South by establishing mineral processing plants and downstream industries closer to resource-rich communities to ensure the province derives greater economic benefits from its vast mineral wealth.
Matabeleland South Senator Richard Ndlovu said the national drive towards mineral beneficiation and value addition should move beyond extracting raw materials to creating local manufacturing capacity, employment and business opportunities.
Contributing to the debate on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Mnangagwa in September in the Senate last week, Senator Ndlovu said Matabeleland South, which is endowed with gold, lithium, nickel and other mineral resources, was strategically positioned to benefit from the country’s industrialisation agenda.
He said the province should not remain a supplier of raw materials to industries located elsewhere, but should become an active participant in mineral processing, manufacturing and downstream production.
“Our province is endowed with gold, lithium, nickel and other mineral resources.
“The national thrust towards beneficiation must therefore result in more than the extraction of raw materials.
“We need processing, manufacturing and downstream industries located closer to the communities where these resources are found,” he said.
His remarks show the need to ensure that the country’s economic growth translates into broader provincial development, particularly in communities endowed with natural resources but which have yet to realise their full industrial potential.
Senator Ndlovu welcomed the economic performance outlined by President Mnangagwa, particularly the reported 8,3 percent economic growth and 27,9 percent expansion in agriculture, but said
Parliament had a responsibility to ensure such growth improved people’s livelihoods.
“The President reported that the economy grew by 8,3 percent, with agriculture registering 27,9 percent growth. These are encouraging indicators and our responsibility as Parliament is to ensure that such growth is translated into jobs, incomes, productive communities and improved livelihoods,” he said.
Senator Ndlovu also called for stronger support for artisanal and small-scale miners, arguing that the formalisation of the sector should be accompanied by affordable financing, appropriate technology and safer working conditions.
“Formalisation should come with access to finance, appropriate technology and safer working conditions so that artisanal and small-scale miners become productive contributors to the formal economy rather than remaining vulnerable operators.”
He added that environmental responsibility should remain central to mining activities, particularly in communities where small-scale mining has become an important source of livelihoods.
On provincial industrialisation, Senator Ndlovu said Matabeleland South should deliberately promote agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, renewable energy and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He said proposed amendments to SME legislation, aimed at improving formalisation, access to finance and markets, should translate into practical opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs across the province.
“The proposed amendments to the Small and Medium Enterprise Legislation aimed at formalisation of access to finance and markets are therefore important and should translate into accessible opportunities for the young person starting businesses in Gwanda, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Esgodini and Mapisa.”
Senator Ndlovu further called for closer alignment between vocational training and the needs of industries targeted for expansion, warning that skills development without corresponding employment opportunities would have limited impact on unemployment.
He said training institutions should develop skills directly relevant to mining, agriculture, tourism, construction, manufacturing, renewable energy and transport.
On energy, he said the expansion of electricity connections, mini-grids and renewable energy infrastructure presented significant opportunities for Matabeleland South, given its considerable solar potential.
He said that reliable energy supplies should support productive economic activities beyond household consumption, including irrigation schemes, cold storage facilities, mines, workshops and rural industries.
“This is how infrastructure becomes an economic enabler,” he said.
Senator Ndlovu also called for greater accountability in implementing infrastructure projects, citing delays in completing roads linked to the Maphisa Independence Legacy Project.
He said the project demonstrated the benefits of directing national attention and investment towards provincial infrastructure but stressed that unfinished projects undermined the broader development agenda.
“The Bulawayo-Maphisa and Gwanda-Maphisa Roads, which were associated with the 2026 Independence Celebrations were targeted for completion by August 2026 yet the Gwanda-Maphisa Road remains incomplete. We hope the Ministry will take that up. This is a call for implementation discipline,” he said.
