Online Reporter
Victor Maphosa-Mash East Bureau
THE Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services yesterday embarked on a tour of key economic and infrastructure projects in Mashonaland East Province, highlighting progress being made in agriculture, manufacturing and water development as the country advances towards Vision 2030.
Led by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Nick Mangwana, the two-day media tour, which ends today, took journalists to Wiserow Enterprise, Proton Bakers and the Kunzvi Dam construction site.
At Wiserow Enterprise, a blueberry producer located about 10 kilometres outside Marondera, management revealed plans to increase exports this year as demand continues to grow in international markets.
The company’s general manager and shareholder, Mr Bruce Meikle, said the firm was targeting exports of one million kilogrammes of blueberries this season.
“We are targeting exports of about one million kilogrammes of blueberries this year,” he said.
“Last year, we exported 597 tonnes of blueberries, mainly to European markets and some to the Middle East.
“This year, we are aiming to increase production to about 900 tonnes, with Europe remaining our main focus.”
Mr Meikle said Zimbabwe enjoys a competitive advantage because its blueberry production season runs from June to September, a period when global supplies are generally low.
“The major advantage for Zimbabwe is that we are able to produce blueberries from June to the end of September, which is a period of low production in the rest of the world. That gives us a market advantage,” he said.
“Zimbabwe also produces high-quality berries with excellent taste, and this has earned us a good reputation in international markets.”
He added that only five percent of the company’s produce is sold locally, with the remainder destined for export markets. Plans are also underway to expand the area under blueberries from 72 hectares to 125 hectares. The delegation also toured Proton Bakers in Marondera, where officials were briefed on operations at the bakery, which currently produces about 180 000 loaves of bread daily. Expansion plans are at an advanced stage and are expected to increase production capacity.
The final stop was the Kunzvi Dam construction site in Goromonzi District, where officials said the strategic project is now 74 percent complete.
Once completed, the dam is expected to provide a lasting solution to Harare’s water challenges while supplying water to business centres in Goromonzi and Murehwa districts, including Domborembudzi, Musami, Mwanza and Majuru.
About 400 hectares have been earmarked for irrigation development, with priority being given to communities affected by the construction of the dam. More than 200 houses have already been built for affected families, while Government also plans to establish Village Business Units to support livelihoods in surrounding communities.
Speaking at Kunzvi Dam, Mr Mangwana said the projects visited during the tour demonstrated the extent of economic activity taking place across the country.
“We started our journey at a blueberry company, where we are talking about millions of tonnes of blueberries being exported and generating foreign currency for the country.
“We then moved to Proton, which is a major centre of bread manufacturing. Now we are at Kunzvi, which will become a key source of water for Harare.
“This means economic activities are taking place everywhere, creating employment opportunities for local people. It also speaks to the empowerment of local communities because, at every place we visited, we learnt that most of the people employed are locals.
“I think that is the biggest concept we are dealing with here. Harare is not Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe is not Harare. Zimbabwe is all-encompassing, and there are many activities taking place at sub-national level,” said Mr Mangwana.
He said the developments reflected the country’s steady progress towards the attainment of Vision 2030.
“We are moving towards Vision 2030 at an accelerated pace because, here at Kunzvi, we have been told that the dam will be ready for commissioning by December 31 this year,” he said.
“At our earlier stop, we were told that about 20 percent of the bread consumed in the country is coming from Marondera. More than two million families can afford to eat bread every day. This speaks to Vision 2030.
“Here at Kunzvi, we will also have irrigation schemes that will benefit local people. At Wiserow, 80 percent of the employees are women. When you empower a woman, you empower the whole family; when you empower the family, you empower the community and when you empower the community, you empower the nation.
“This is what is happening on the ground, and it speaks directly to the attainment of Vision 2030 under the mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
