adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
MATABELELAND South Province has begun work on localising the 10-point plan recently pronounced by President Robert Mugabe as a way to help turn around the country’s economy.
The province held its Economic Empowerment Conference in Gwanda on Thursday under the theme “Accelerating Economic Empowerment by localising the 10-point plan”.
Political leaders in the province also attended the meeting, which gave insight on the national economic empowerment strategy formulation and implementation.
District youth officers made presentations on priority resources and opportunities available with potential to help revive the economy.
The meeting resolved that measures be put in place to ensure communities benefit from revenue generated at border posts in the province.
Others included financing of irrigation schemes, establishment of more solar mini grids, livestock development and issues surrounding capacitating artisanal miners.
Participants stressed the need to industrialise the province by resuscitating the beef processing and canning plant at West Nicholson.
Umzingwane Member of Parliament William Dhewa said the province had great potential to transform the economy.
“I’m impressed with the way we came up with priority resources for Matabeleland South. We’ve resources that we want to effectively utilise to improve the livelihoods of people in our communities.
“We all have a role to play to ensure that the economic strategy becomes a success. We also encourage non-governmental organisations working in Matabeleland South to provide support to areas perceived to change the face of the economy in the province,” he said.
Dhewa said once the 10-point plan was localised, goals of the the economic blue print, Zim-Asset would be achieved.
The President’s 10-point plan covers aspects such as revitalising agriculture and the agro-processing value chain, advancing beneficiation and/or value addition to agricultural and mining resource endowments, focusing on infrastructural development particularly in the key energy, water, transport and information communication technology subsectors, and unlocking the potential of small to medium enterprises.
National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) provincial manager Nqobizitha Ndhlovu urged active participation from all interested groups for the success of the programme.
“The President has given us the way forward and we surely can transform our economy by unlocking the potential we’ve as a province.
“As districts we can come up with strategies to lure our citizens living abroad to invest in our communities so that we promote private sector investment,” he said.
Concern was also raised over interruption of water supplies in Gwanda, which has an effect of discouraging investment.
The information gathered from the conference deliberations would be used to come up with an investment blue-print for the province.
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