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Michael Magoronga Midlands Correspondent
Government has scaled up efforts to revive industries, resulting in a number of deals being signed and some companies opening, Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Ndlovu has said.
Minister Ndlovu said Government was more committed to the cause than before as the country seeks to transform into a middle income economy by 2030.
Although significant progress has been made across the country resulting in a number of companies reopening, Minister Ndlovu said focus was now on Kwekwe, which is arguably an industrial hub.
“We cannot ignore the fact that Kwekwe is an industrial hub, our focus is on the companies. We have not forgotten the people of Kwekwe,” he said.
Kwekwe is home to Ziscosteel, Lancashire steel, Zimchem Refineries, Zimasco, Olikem, Steelmakers and Africa Chrome Fields, to name but a few.
There has been significant progress made towards the resuscitation of Zisco, which he said was at the top of the list due to its importance to other industries in the city.
“The opening of Ziscosteel is in the pipeline, but already the opening of ZimCoke points to a brighter future ahead. Government remains committed to the reopening of the country’s industries as witnessed by a number of companies that have started operations in the last couple of months.
“If anything, Government is more committed to the reopening of the country’s industries than ever before. The reopening of Ziscosteel has started as you are aware that ZimCoke have started the renovations of a coking plant within Ziscosteel and in no time operations will begin. That alone spells the beginning of Ziscosteel’s reopening,” he said.
There is a lot of hope that the deal penned in 2017, between Government and R & F, a Chinese firm, to resuscitate operations at the defunct Redcliff-based steel giant in a $1 billion deal will materialise.
ZimCoke, which bought a coking plant within the former steel giant in a $130 million deal, is expected to commence operations in September. About 1 000 direct and indirect employees are expected to benefit from the company’s opening.
He said Government had adopted a holistic approach in the company’s revival strategy.
“Look at ZimCoke deal, if it opens, it also means that Zimchem which relies on the company for raw materials, will be up and running. Zimchem has not been functioning due to lack of resources but the coming in of ZimCoke breathes life in Zimchem,” he said.
Besides Zimchem, the company has also committed to assisting Redcliff Council, which has been hit hard with a perennial water shortage, with the construction of a water treatment plant.
“That is the holistic approach that Government is taking where one company benefits the other and so on. Look at how many companies have benefited from the opening of one company,” said Minister Ndlovu.
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