Online Reporter
George Maponga in Mwenezi
INDIGENOUS Zimbabweans have the capacity to undertake transformative projects that add impetus to the Second Republic’s rural industrialisation and modernisation drive, helping propel the country towards becoming an upper-middle-income economy, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda has said.
He was speaking at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi East, where the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) has partnered with eight local private investors to develop a green corridor spanning more than 30 000 hectares.
The green corridor at Nuanetsi is being put under sugar cane production, with future plans to introduce citrus and lucerne cultivation.
Upon completion, the project is expected to create more than 15 000 direct jobs and contribute US$2 billion annually to Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product. Dr Soda toured the fledgling greenbelt project on the second day of his visit to signature projects being implemented under the Second Republic and aligned with Vision 2030.
He toured sugar cane fields being developed by Lyonais Enterprises and Henzero Agro Projects at Nuanetsi, where more than 300 hectares of virgin land have been put under sugar cane production.
This forms part of the DTZ initiative, together with its partners, to establish a massive green corridor at Nuanetsi using water from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
At the centre of the greenbelt project, a citrus-processing plant and an ethanol-processing facility will be established, spurring significant rural industrialisation and modernisation in parts of Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts.
The eight local investors partnering with DTZ have so far invested a combined US$70 million in developing the greenbelt.
Minister Soda commended the initiative as an example of local solutions helping to address gaps in the national development matrix.
“We have seen highly mechanised sugar cane fields using the latest irrigation technology, developed by a group of local investors in partnership with DTZ. This project here speaks to the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), which feeds into Vision 2030,” he said.
“What we have seen here at Nuanetsi is evidence that indigenous Zimbabweans have the capacity to lead from the front in helping the nation achieve rural industrialisation and modernisation.”
Minister Soda said President Mnangagwa deserved credit for creating the conducive environment for indigenous players to participate in the local economy.
He noted that projects being developed by indigenous Zimbabweans were creating jobs and helping to grow the country’s gross domestic product.
The greenbelt project at Nuanetsi is a product of President Mnangagwa’s visionary leadership, the Minister added.
“The President is the patron of DTZ and the land here is wholly owned by the State. We are pleased that the investors have committed resources to developing sugar cane fields and are now planning to venture into citrus production using water from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam.
“There is also ongoing reorganisation of settlements here in Nuanetsi, where beneficiaries are receiving title deeds and will also benefit from co-existing with these investors through employment opportunities and access to clean potable water, thanks to the ongoing borehole-drilling programme,” he said.
Minister Soda expressed optimism that agriculture would continue to anchor Masvingo Province’s plans to grow into an US$8 billion economy by 2030.
DTZ general manager Mr Emmanuel Jaricha said the partnership between the trust and private investors was bearing fruit.
“All that is happening here is thanks to President Dr ED Mnangagwa and his Government, who created the right conditions for this kind of investment to take place,” he said.
“This green corridor project has already created about 1 200 direct jobs and that figure will rise to more than 15 000 when it reaches full capacity. We will easily become the second-largest employer in Zimbabwe after Government.”
Mr Jaricha also paid tribute to Government for facilitating the orderly relocation of settlers from DTZ land.
“We are working closely with our partners to drill boreholes for families being relocated and receiving title deeds.”
Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa said the province was on course to grow into an US$8 billion economy by 2030.
He said agriculture had proved to be the province’s trump card in driving transformative development in line with Vision 2030.
After touring Nuanetsi Ranch, the Minister visited the new artificial intelligence-powered silos at Rutenga and a multi-service centre at the growth point that value-adds castor beans, sesame and sunflower seeds to produce cooking oil.
The plant also processes paprika.
Accompanying Dr Soda were the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Nick Mangwana, and other Government officials.
