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Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
A CHINESE company, Ego Hardware is constructing a water bottling plant in Hwange as part of efforts to improve quality water delivery in the mining town.
Hwange Local Board chief executive officer Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose confirmed the development, adding that although initially the plant was meant to cater for the Chinese working in the town, it will also benefit locals.
“It’s a good development in that we are seeing a number of players wanting to come on board. This Chinese company intends to supply (bottled water) mainly to the power station because there are a lot of their Chinese kinsman working there. I think they already have a market there but obviously they are also going to be selling to any other clients once the bottling plant starts operating but for us its business,” he said.
Chinese firm, Sinohydro is undertaking the $1,4 billion Hwange Expansion Project for Unit 7 and 8 as well as the refurbishment of existing units 5 and 6 in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Power Company. The two companies have formed the Hwange Electricity Supply Company (HESCO) to implement the project.
It could not be immediately established how much was invested in the setting up of the water bottling and a warehouse but sources privy to the on-goings are saying the investment is estimated to be worth close to US$1 million. The water bottling plant is expected to start operations before the end of June. Mr Mdlalose said the latest development was one of the numerous indications that the town was beginning to attract massive investment.
“On a socio-economic front there are opportunities, it’s good business and we’ve been on a drive for investors for quite some time now but I think people are beginning to see the value of investing in Hwange,” he said.
“We expect more, we are happy that there’s a lot of movement in terms of investors coming into town but there’s still a lot of room for investment especially in the hospitality area we need lot of investment for lodges, hotels and conference facilities.”
Mr Mdlalose said the local authority was also excited that it had sought an investor to develop its long-awaited Civic Centre to be located at the town’s first recognisable Central Business District (CBD).
“We are also happy that in addition to that the long awaited CBD is going to take-off. So obviously there is going to be a lot of people that are now going to be interested in investing in Hwange because we are becoming more and more visible,” he said.
Hwange has been without a focal point since its founding in 1899, with the apportioning of land being done by big companies namely Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL), Zesa’s subsidiary Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).
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