Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
ZIMPAPERS Mutare branch – The Manica Post and Diamond FM – is joining the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza in celebrating the province’s economic growth, marked by high impact projects in agriculture, mining, energy, manufacturing, value addition and beneficiation.
Manicaland Province is eyeing a five percent economic growth surge that will push its economy beyond US$5 billion by 2026, powered by high impact projects in agriculture, mining, energy, manufacturing, value addition and beneficiation.
To this end, starting this week, Zimpapers Mutare branch – through its trusted newspaper for generations, The Manica Post and its audio version, Diamond FM – will serialise some of the achievements in different sectors of the economy in Manicaland.
The ambitious economic growth strategy for Manicaland, crafted by the Provincial Development Committee (PDC), also seeks to transform Mutare into a modern logistics hub by boosting trade along the Beira Corridor, leveraging the city’s proximity to Forbes Border Post and Mozambique in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of an upper middle-class economy.
Key projects include refurbishment of the Dorowa Minerals Phosphate Plant, training and funding for SMEs, and expansion of the diamond recovery plant at Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in Chiadzwa.
Plans also cover resuscitation of the PB Flow Sort formerly operated by Mbada Diamonds, revival of Redwing Mine, and installation of gravity separators at Shava Mine in Buhera to improve micron product recovery by 15 percent.
The province is also set to benefit from new industrial investments: a US$5 million pine resin plant, a US$2 million noodles plant and trailer assembly plant by Mega Market in Mutare, a US$10 million pulp plant and US$2,6 million water bottling plant by The Wattle Company, plus an US$800 000 meat processing factory, commercial mall and tourism facilities at Headlands.
Director for Economic Development in the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya, recently confirmed the plan, saying it leverages the province’s comparative advantages to attract strategic investments and unlock new opportunities.
“The economic trajectory depends on widening value addition in agro-processing and mineral beneficiation. We are looking at the expansion of GreenFuel and Mega Market’s diversification into noodle production and trailer-building plant in Mutare.
“We are also improving infrastructure and the provision of utilities and services to create a conducive environment for our industry to thrive. This will include investment in hydro and solar energy, as well as enhancing trade along the Beira Corridor through development of the Christmas Pass Bypass Road, modernisation of Forbes Border Post and construction of the new Public Service Commission Dry Port.
“The dry port in Mutare will streamline cargo handling, cut congestion at the Beira Port, reduce transit times and logistics costs, and boost efficiency.
“It will strengthen the Beira Corridor by providing customs clearance, warehousing and intermodal connectivity, encouraging regional trade and investment, while transforming Mutare into a logistics hub,” said Mr Rubaya
