Online Reporter
Mashonaland West Bureau
KEY development projects in Mashonaland West came under the spotlight recently as the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services conducted a two-day tour to gauge progress in sectors driving the province’s economic resurgence.
The tour, led by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswer, saw visits to major agricultural, industrial and construction projects that embody the country’s ongoing economic recovery, and feed into the national Vision 2030.
Speaking during the tour, Dr Muswere said: “We are highly impressed with what we have seen in Mashonaland West province, and as Government, we will continue to support initiatives that promote production and subsequently improve the lives of our people through employment creation.
“The tour also included the Chinhoyi University of Technology, visits to the Mhangura grain silos, which is also a reflection in terms of the high production levels that we have achieved as a country, as we have managed to achieve food security and nutrition
security.
“So, the post-harvest losses that we have experienced as a country before can then be impeded by virtue of having the grain silos which are at 90 percent in terms of completion.”
Dr Muswere commended the commencement of the Harare-Chirundu highway dualisation project.
“It is currently underway in terms of preparations and also in terms of construction works, the BOQs (bill of quantities) have been done, the road designs have been done,” he said.
“The tour brings us here to a cement factory where we had discussions with the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Chombo, and I can assure you as members of the Government that we are impressed with the production levels.
“We are satisfied by the production levels and that work is underway in order to secure limestone claims in order for the investors to be able to put in place a kiln, a plant which would then process the clinger.”
Dr Muswere said a number of studies had been done in terms of the feasibility of the clinger plant, which will have high calcium carbonate components, low silica and magnesium, which then contribute towards the production of good quality clinger.
“This is the major raw material in terms of cement production, but at the same time, as we transform our value chains, we are also aligning them to gypsum, which also contributes in terms of the setting time,” he said.
“In terms of the slag, discussions are underway with the Manhize plant, but meanwhile local resource mobilisation has been done within the area in order then to complement all the major input raw materials in order to produce cement.
“The bone mills, the cement chutes, packing machines are all standard and international in terms of production levels.”
Dr Muswere said there had been a trade deficit in terms of cement production, resulting in the registering of two more cement factories that are coming up in Mashonaland West province.
“One of the plants is in Chegutu and you’ve already witnessed the production levels here at this particular plant (Huaxin in Zvimba East) and we are very confident that before the end of NDS2, we will have capacity to produce a lot of cement,” he said.
“Cement and steel are some of the most critical indicators in order to measure the macroeconomic growth of a nation, including its construction developments within the country.”
Dr Muswere said employment numbers will continue to increase as the production of cement moves to the second phase.
“So, all this has been generated by virtue of the leadership in the magnetic investment climate that has been provided by the Second Republic and in particular under the wise
leadership of President ED Mnangagwa,” he said.
Dr Muswere said in national housing construction, the numbers had been revised upwards.
“We’ve had to revise our numbers in terms of housing units and in terms of local Government architecture and planning, as we have now revised the numbers to 1 million houses before the end of NDS1 and as we move to NDS2 this is part of the success stories in terms of the leadership that has been provided by President ED Mnangagwa,” he said.
