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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
LAND owners who are underutilising their farms because of limited resources have been urged to partner with investors who can assist them to maximise production for the growth of the economy.
Speaking during a Zanu-PF Matabeleland South Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting on Saturday in Gwanda Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said some farmers were sitting on large tracts of land which if fully utilised could significantly contribute towards developing the economy and attainment of Vision 2030.
“Our province is ranked as one of the lowest-performing provinces in terms of GDP. This means our contribution to the country’s economy is very low. We are however one of the provinces that is very rich in natural resources. For example, we have minerals, tourist destinations, and big dams, our land has sweet grass which produces good-quality beef. With all this wealth we have to ask ourselves why our province is still performing very badly.
“A number of you here have benefited from a valuable treasure that came through the Government land reform programme which is land but some are not fully utilising the land. We don’t want unproductive farms. If you have land and don’t have resources to produce then engage partners so that you maximise production. If each farm were to be fully productive surely hunger will be a thing of the past,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said communities have to mobilise resources and establish their own irrigation schemes and desist from depending on rain-fed agriculture as it is not reliable in most parts of the district. She said the province’s strength is in livestock production but many community members were failing to utilise this resource. She encouraged community members to treat their livestock whether big or small as a business asset.
Dr Ndlovu said each livestock owner has to focus on either growing their herd or improving the quality of their breed.
She said for the province’s economy to grow, players in the mining sector have to engage investors to grow their operations from small scale to large scale. She said there is also a need for partnerships and consortiums between local players so that they can combine the resources that they have to upscale their operations.
“Let’s look at the resources that we have and turn them into a gold mine. Let’s strive to establish big companies and then let’s list them in the stock exchange. We have to develop our own communities. The vision of President Mnangagwa is to see households self-sustaining by Vision 2030 but it’s not possible if we are not investing in the resources that we have,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said the provincial party leadership has to be at the forefront of the investment drive. She said other areas of development include tourism and hospitality, housing, forestry, education, infrastructure development, and manufacturing among others.
Dr Ndlovu said unity of purpose and collective effort is key in the attainment of inclusive socio-economic growth and development of the province.
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