Chronicle Editor
BINGA District has been scoring a number of firsts lately.
The Government has just bestowed town status on Binga Centre and launched Binga Polytechnic. A vocational training centre was also set up. The community received their first local radio and television signals recently.
In five years, the butt of many not-so-funny jokes has advanced very fast and the masses are delighted.
Yesterday, Binga scored yet another first with the commissioning of the district’s first mine — Muchesu. President Mnangagwa performed the honours at the coal mine where its owner, London-listed Contango Holdings has invested around US$20 million.
The mine sits on more than 2,6 billion tonnes of resources and every month it will produce 10 000 tonnes of coke and 10 000 tonnes of coal. Contango recently signed an offtake agreement with a United Arab Emirates company.
Dozens of locals have secured jobs at the mine while families who were displaced by the operation have moved into modern homes.
“This project is not only transformational for the community of Binga but Zimbabwe as a whole,” the President said.
“The confidence shown by investors in the progressive policies of the Government shows that indeed Zimbabwe is open for business. It is pleasing that the company that invested here is from the UK despite the country putting us under sanctions. When we took farms from them, they were angry and imposed sanctions, but because they want our money and resources they are coming back.”
He noted that Binga used to be underdeveloped but his administration has changed that.
“We are happy that we are going to get a lot of benefits from this project,” said the President.
“I know that all these years the Government of the day did not pay much attention to Binga, this has now changed. No place or no one will be left behind unless you as an individual you would want to stay behind. We give free farming inputs for you to have food security at the household level. We are building clinics throughout the country so that people do not travel long distances.”
We share Binga’s joy over the multifaceted development which is happening there and happening very fast.
We look forward to the mine contributing much more to the rise of Binga socially and economically. As the mine expands, it will employ more locals. This guarantees the workers a regular income, not the old way of depending on seasonal kapenta catches and donations. With higher, more consistent incomes, the people will be able to build better homes, feed and clothe their families send their children to schools, up to Binga Polytechnic, the local vocational training centre or the new nurse training centre being built there.
Binga has much potential in tourism as well, with the country’s only beach, Lake Kariba and wildlife being the key attractions. The Government is building the infrastructure for that potential to be realised. Among the enabling infrastructure is the new airstrip that was launched a few months ago.
Indeed, Binga is on the rise.
Online Reporter