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President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State visit to China has been very successful much to the chagrin of the country’s detractors. Cde Mnangagwa and his high powered delegation secured a number of deals that are set to propel Zimbabwe’s economic turnaround.
The visit which ends today provided Cde Mnangagwa an opportunity to engage with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping. The two leaders’ long discussion covered political, economic, regional and international issues.
Some of the secured deals include the impending refurbishment of the Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 which is set to increase power generation by 600 megawatts. The country’s enemies including the private media instead of focusing on the many positives of this trip are expending their energies on trivia.
These outcasts who relish the people’s suffering are concentrating on the cost of the trip and coming up with exaggerated figures instead of telling the nation the long term benefits of the trip to the Zimbabwean economy.
The same prophets of doom seem to have forgotten too soon that only last week President Mnangagwa commissioned a $533m Kariba extension project that added 300 megawatts to the national grid. The project, implemented with the assistance of the Chinese government, is one of the benefits of the Sino-Zimbabwe relations.
Zimbabweans should not be hoodwinked by the country’s enemies who do not want to see progress but should instead brace for the economic boom likely to be witnessed as the country starts rolling out some of the mega deals signed in China. Zimbabwe has in the past four months achieved a lot in terms of attracting foreign investors to the country and we have no doubt that economic growth will be accelerated in the coming few months.
Two weeks ago Government signed a $4,2 billion platinum investment agreement with a Cyprus-based company, Karo Resources. The agreement, the largest to date in the mining sector, was signed by Mines and Mining Development Minister Mr Winston Chitando and Karo Resources chairman, Mr Loucas Pouroulis.
The mine will be located in the Mhondoro-Ngezi area and the deal also includes the establishment of a 600MW thermal power station in Matabeleland North province and chrome mining. This is ample evidence that the new political dispensation means business as days of politicking are over.
The challenge to Zimbabweans, as we have repeatedly said, is to ensure each and every citizen plays his or he role in growing the economy. Government on its part is doing all within its powers to create an enabling environment for new investment and the expansion of existing businesses. Local investors should join the foreign investors to grow their companies and benefit from the exploitation of the country’s abundant natural resources.
We want at this juncture to urge Zimbabweans to shame the country’s detractors by working hard to grow the economy.
Online Reporter