Sidumisile Mabena
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
THE Midlands Province, which straddles a significant stretch of Zimbabwe’s mineral-rich Great Dyke, is stepping up efforts to position itself as a key investment destination as the country rolls out the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the successor to the first five-year economic blueprint anchored on achieving an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
With vast deposits of platinum, chrome and other strategic minerals, the province is increasingly being regarded as a critical pillar in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and value-addition agenda, in line with the Government’s broader economic transformation drive.
In an interview, Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Midlands, Dr Edgar Seenza, said the province is aligning its development priorities with NDS2 to unlock investment opportunities across key sectors such as mining, agriculture and manufacturing.
He noted that Midlands accounts for about 35 percent of the Great Dyke, placing it in a strong position to attract both local and foreign investors.
“The province is home to 35 percent of the mineral-rich Great Dyke and is aligning its development agenda with the National Development Strategy 2, the Government’s economic blueprint, as it seeks to attract investors and drive economic growth in line with Vision 2030,” he said.
Dr Seenza said the provincial economic development plan is firmly anchored on NDS2, which prioritises private sector-led growth, infrastructure development and the beneficiation of mineral resources.
“We are very happy with the efforts by His Excellency President Mnangagwa to lure investors into the country under the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ philosophy, so that they assist us in achieving our provincial plans and ultimately Vision 2030,” said Dr Seenza.
The Second Republic adopted the “open for business” policy in 2017 as part of efforts to re-engage international investors and stimulate economic recovery, with provinces now playing an increasingly prominent role under the devolution framework to drive localised development initiatives.
Dr Seenza said the Midlands Province is actively working to create a conducive investment climate by improving the ease of doing business and offering institutional support to investors.
“We want to ensure that we give investors the necessary support so that they are keen to invest in this province,” he said.
Dr Seenza highlighted the province’s rich resource base as a major attraction, noting that besides platinum and chrome, Midlands also has vast tracts of arable land suitable for agro-industrial expansion, which is a key component of NDS2’s rural industrialisation thrust.
“Midlands Province has quite a number of mineral endowments and 35 percent of the Great Dyke is in this province, which gives us a comparative advantage,” he said.
Beyond its natural resource potential, Dr Seenza said communities are already beginning to embrace investment-driven development, particularly in areas such as Gokwe, where projects are expected to improve livelihoods.
“The Gokwe community and local leadership are quite happy about these projects and would want to see more investment so that they benefit from employment and infrastructure development,” he said.
Among the proposed investments are thermal power generation projects and coal-to-fertiliser production plants, initiatives that align with national priorities to enhance energy security, boost agricultural productivity and promote value addition.
If successfully implemented, these projects are expected to stimulate downstream industries, create employment opportunities and contribute significantly to both provincial and national economic growth, further consolidating Midlands Province’s role as a strategic economic hub.
Online Reporter