Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza and Nqobile Bhebhe
BULAWAYO is increasingly regaining its status as the heartbeat of Zimbabwe’s manufacturing resurgence in response to supportive policy measures by the Second Republic, which also continues to roll out transformative development projects to modernise the city, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, has said.
Bulawayo industries are witnessing a remarkable revival, fuelled by significant capital investments from big companies such as Treger Group, Edgars Stores’ Carousel Manufacturing, Arenel and Innscor Africa Limited, among others, with a vibrant small to medium scale enterprises sector adding to the impetus.
Yesterday, Dr Muswere, his deputy Dr Omphile Marupi, Permanent Secretary Mr Nick Mangwana and other senior Government officials conducted a tour of two of Bulawayo’s leading manufacturing entities – Edgars Limited’s Carousel factory and Baker’s Inn – where they witnessed impressive strides under Zimbabwe’s re-industrialisation agenda driven by President Mnangagwa.
They also assessed progress in several other high-impact Government projects in the city, which are at different stages of implementation, while some have already been completed.
The delegation obtained first-hand insights into how the private sector, backed by sound policy support, is contributing to the country’s economic transformation.
At Carousel, officials were briefed on the significant progress made since President Mnangagwa’s visit in February this year, which unlocked key interventions including stable electricity supply and access to retooling funds.
Managing director, Mr Menfree Tanyanyiwa, said the President’s visit had “immensely shifted the company’s trajectory”.
“A week after His Excellency’s tour, electricity challenges were addressed through ZESA support and we gained access to critical retooling capital,” said Mr Tanyanyiwa.
The factory, which supplies Edgars, Jet and Express Stores, is now producing about 45 000 units per month, with projections to ramp up to 100 000 – levels last recorded in 1999.
At Baker’s Inn, officials were taken through the company’s US$27 million expansion project, which saw the installation of a second production line – one of the most advanced outside South Africa.
Southern region managing director, Mr Frecious Mpofu said: “Our new plant can produce 245 000 loaves per day.”
Powered by robotics and high-precision equipment, the Belmont-based bakery uses cutting-edge automation in dough handling, slicing, and packaging – enhancing hygiene, efficiency and output.
In remarks at the conclusion of the day-long tour, Dr Muswere said Bulawayo’s transformation was on track and reiterated Government’s commitment to consolidating the gains achieved so far and ensuring that Vision 2030 is realised.
“As part of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services’ mandate, we have been conducting provincial media tours and today we are in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.
“Part of the tour included analysing the revival of the province as an industrial hub in the broader aspect of industrial growth in the country,” he said.
“The tour took us to industries such as Edgars Stores’ Carousel Manufacturing and Bakers Inn.”
The delegation also visited the city’s two biggest referral hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
“Under the leadership of the President of Zimbabwe, Dr ED Mnangagwa, resources for the capacitation and refurbishment of medical facilities and medical institutions that include UBH and Mpilo have been availed ” said Dr Muswere.
He said power at the two hospitals is now guaranteed following the installation solar as back up.
Earlier, the delegation visited the National University of Science and Technology (NUST)’s innovation hub which Dr Muswere hailed as an incubator for human capital development.
“On the human capital development side, we identified NUST’s innovation hub, that include the university’s innovation support system, architecture and its software development centre as a vital cog that support our Heritage Based Education, which primarily focuses on productivity to grow micro economic activities across the country,” he said.
Dr Muswere said his delegation also toured the NUST campus radio station as part of the capacitation in terms of intellectual capacity building for the students and also as part of an information ecosystem in order to support information and education which are very key and central as the nation journeys towards an upper middle class economy by 2030.”
Dr Muswere said there are so many success stories being recorded in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province inspired by President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership.
“These include the expansion and revival of many of the institutions that have contributed to growing the economy so much towards industrialisation and the production of goods and services in our country that speak to the domestication of value chains in our country,” he said.
At Mpilo Central Hospital the delegation had an appreciation of progress on various projects being undertaken.
They visited the doctors’ quarters, which were burnt during a fire in 2021 and were refurbished by the Government. A new complex was also constructed where the doctors are living.
A newly refurbished trainee nurses’ home was also part of the areas that the minister visited and was impressed with the work done.
The delegation also visited a new state- of- the- art incinerator, which is set to benefit the southern region where medical waste will be destroyed.
Dr Marupi earlier visited United Bulawayo Hospitals where he saw a state- of- the- art laboratory where new equipment is being installed.
The laboratory, the first in Zimbabwe, will have a number of areas that cover patient investigation.
Thereafter the delegation visited a solar farm located at UBH, which is powering the institution. The tour also covered Cowdray Park Health Centre, Vulindlela Primary School and ZBC Montrose Studios.
