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George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
Masvingo City Council has adopted a 20-year master plan that will guide the city’s development as it angles to become an industrialised metropolitan by 2030.
The plan is a product of consultation of key stakeholders and policymakers.
Crafting of the plan started in February and was completed last month in response to President Mnangagwa’s call to action for local authorities to be engines of the march to socio-economically transforming Zimbabwe into an upper-middle income society.
The plan is now available for scrutiny by stakeholders and residents to make their own input for the next two months before submission to Government for approval.
Adoption of the new master plan marks a milestone in the city’s drive to grow and anchor Masvingo’s provincial economy, billed to expand to US$8 billion by 2030.
Town clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa yesterday confirmed the adoption of the master plan.
“Council adopted the new 20-year master plan that will guide the city’s development and one of the highlights is industrialisation where we envisage to become an industrialised metropolitan by the year 2030,” said Engineer Mukaratirwa.
“Crafting of the (master) plan started in February and was completed on June 24. The plan will be submitted to Government for approval.”
Eng Mukaratirwa said besides industrialisation, council also envisions building of 10 000 new houses to ease accommodation woes.
The ancient city wants new houses to be built going upwards to preserve land.
A new central business district will be created opposite Masvingo Craft Centre, together with a new provincial hospital that will be constructed close to the newly rehabilitated Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
“We also plan to divide the new CBD into economic corridors and one of the corridors will cover the Masvingo Airport area.
“Council intends to start work on sprucing up the airport to attract more visitors,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
Council is also discussing with potential funders to finance the stalled US$75 million phase 2 water augmentation project.
The project envisages doubling the city’s pumping, purification, conveyancing and storage infrastructure from 30 megalitres daily to 60 megalitres.
Masvingo requires about 48 mega litres of water daily to meet demand and draws water from Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest inland dam.
Masvingo City has vast potential to expand with sponge iron maker, SIMBI (Pvt) Ltd embarking on a multi-million-dollar expansion project that will see the firm’s plant in the Masvingo industrial area making steel.
The SIMBI plant will also generate electricity, solidifying its position as the face of Masvingo’s industrial development.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter