Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
MATABELELAND North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Richard Moyo, is set to lead a delegation to China next week to participate in the Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum, in Shanxi Province.
The forum, scheduled for September 10-11, will provide a platform for international cooperation and discussions on clean energy transformation, with Minister Moyo’s delegation focusing on fostering investment opportunities for Matabeleland North.
Matabeleland North and Shanxi provinces have already established bilateral relationship with a twinning arrangement on the cards. Matabeleland North received US$150 000 from Shanxi Province to assist in the delivery of grain for the drought relief programme.
The Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum is a significant event featuring three major international conferences: the Mexico Guest Country Forum, the China-Europe Clean Energy Transformation International Symposium, and the 14th Global Top 500 New Energy Enterprises Forum.
These gatherings aim to promote collaboration across national, governmental, and corporate levels, with the participation of senior government officials, provincial leaders, ambassadors, and executives from 30 countries.
In addition to attending the forum, Minister Moyo will engage in a series of meetings with potential investors. Some of these investors have already initiated mining ventures in Matabeleland North, highlighting the province’s growing appeal as a destination for international investment.
During a recent visit to Zimbabwe by a high-level delegation from Shanxi Province, led by Provincial Secretary Mr Tang Dengjie, a commitment was made to attract substantial investment into Matabeleland North.
The delegation promised to bring in much investment into the province over the next two decades, with a substantial sum specifically allocated to the mining sector within the next five years.
Minister Moyo expressed optimism about the economic prospects for Matabeleland North. “As a province, we received US$150 000 from Shanxi which was used in distribution of food relief grain.
There is also an undertaking from the Shanxi provincial leadership to attract investors who will pour about US$140 billion into Matabeleland North over two decades, with US$20 billion going towards mining within five years,” he said.
“This is a clear sign that President Mnangagwa is walking the talk when he says Zimbabwe is open for business.”
The visit to China will also advance the twinning arrangement between Matabeleland North and Shanxi Province.
Minister Moyo said the formalities for the arrangement are nearly complete, with only the signing of a memorandum of understanding remaining.
“It’s just the paperwork which is left, otherwise we are now sister provinces, hence this invite and assistance which we have been given as Matabeleland North,” he said.
Shanxi Province, located in the middle of China along the Yellow River and the Taihang Mountains, is a region rich in mineral resources. The province boasts over 120 kinds of ascertained minerals, with significant reserves of coal and other minerals. The annual output of raw coal in Shanxi is approximately 0.5 billion tons, accounting for one-third of China’s total output.
Minister Moyo and his delegation, which includes chief executive officers from three local authorities in Matabeleland North and officials from his office, are set to depart for China on September 3.
“We are leaving for Shanxi province in China for the energy conference. The visit is at the invitation of the host province’s leadership who are keen to invest in mining, tourism and cultural exchange which will lead to a massive economic turnaround for the province,” he said.
The visit is expected to further strengthen the ties between the two provinces and open new avenues for economic collaboration, particularly in the areas of mining, tourism, and cultural exchange.
The Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum will showcase the significant progress in China’s new energy productivity over the past decade, driven by the “Four Revolutions and One Cooperation” energy security strategy.
It will also highlight Shanxi’s innovative practices as a pilot area for comprehensive energy reform. Key activities will include releasing new findings, authoritative reports, exemplary cases, and providing China’s solutions for global energy transformation.
The conference will be held under the theme; “Developing New Energy Productivity, Building a Clean and Beautiful World.”
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