Vusumuzi Dube
The Bulawayo City Council is hosting its inaugural Bulawayo Economic Development Conference (Bedcon 2025), which is designed to tackle economic challenges facing local businesses and drive sustainable growth.
It is being held under the theme: “Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Economic Development.”
The conference aims to bring together key stakeholders from various sectors to craft innovative solutions for the city’s economic revival.
Zimpapers Business Hub reporters, Judith Phiri and Sikhulekelani Moyo will be giving us live updates from the conference
Bulawayo Mayor calls for change…water and sanitation key to attracting investment
THE inaugural Bulawayo Economic Development Conference is now underway at a local hotel, bringing together industry experts, researchers, government officials, and various stakeholders to
discuss strategies for the city’s economic development.
Running under the theme, “Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Economic Development,” the event aims to create a platform for exchanging ideas on revitalising Bulawayo’s economy.
In his remarks, Bulawayo mayor, Councillor David Coltart said the conference will help interrogate ways of improving the city’s economy.
He said this will also help to compare Bulawayo with other cities in the region that have come out of a similar situation and transformed their economies.
Clr Coltart gave the example of Singapore, which he said historically had been a tiny economy but had since transformed itself.
“We need to analyse how Singapore transformed to be a vibrant city,” said Clr Coltart.
“One recipe is the availability of water, without water, we can’t attract investment.”
He said it is heartbreaking to note that the city is failing to deliver water to industries regardless of the availability of water in dams.
“We need to change what we have been doing historically, we haven’t anticipated this as a city, we cannot continue to manage the water resources as what we used to do in the past 30 to 40 years,” he said.
“We have plans, we commend the Government for approving the construction of Glassblock dam.”
Cllr Coltart said the second recipe to attract investment is sanity and cleanliness.
He said the city needs to change its priorities and commit itself to sanitation and healthy environment.
Bedcon25 key to the development of Bulawayo
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair company chief executive officer, Dr Nicholas Ndebele said Bedcon25 is critical to the industrialisation and reindustrialisation of Bulawayo.
In an interview, Dr Ndebele said Bulawayo has historically been the industrial hub of Zimbabwe, and reviving its industrial capacity is vital not only for the city but for the national economy as well.
“The conference provides an invaluable platform for industry players, including the ZITF Company, to discuss, collaborate, and align strategies that will drive investment into key sectors,” he said.
“The timing of Bedcon 2025, occurring just two weeks before ZITF 2025, offers a unique synergy between the two events, amplifying their impact on Bulawayo’s industrialisation and economic development.
“Bedcon will increase industry exposure by highlighting key sectors in need of investment and development, while ZITF will offer a practical platform for showcasing innovations, technologies, and industrial solutions.”
He said the ideas, collaborations, and partnerships formed at Bedcon can be further explored and implemented at ZITF, where stakeholders can demonstrate actual products, services, and solutions.
Bulawayo seeks collaborations for research and innovation
City of Bulawayo’s economic development officer, Mr Mthandazo Ngwenya has revealed that they envisage that the Bulawayo Economic Development Conference will go a long way in ensuring they attain their vision of becoming a leading smart transformative city by the end of the year.
Presenting on the overview of research and innovation in the city, Mr Ngwenya said the conference was to come up with synergies to strengthen research and innovation.
“We are looking for collaboration with different stakeholders such as different private sector companies, academia for research initiatives, technology transfer and intellectual property
He said they were exploring potential funding opportunities for specific projects, such as digital, smart city Initiatives, and net-zero projects.
Mr Ngwenya added that there was the possibility of joint funding applications and collaborative research proposals as well as potential funding sources, including UK Research and Innovation (UKR), Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) among others.
Aging infrastructure behind Bulawayo crisis: Water Management Expert
A WATER management expert has said aging infrastructure has resulted in the current water situation that Bulawayo is facing.
Speaking at the Bulawayo Economic Development Conference, Lupane State University research associate Ms Sikhanyiso Ncube said this is being worsened by the fluctuating rainfall patterns.
Ms Ncube said the city should have localised water harvesting and considered water recycling.
“If Bulawayo looks at what other countries in the region are doing, we can come up with lasting solutions,” said Ms Ncube.
She said the city should also implement water-saving technologies and practices.
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