Chronicle Editor
Vincent Gono recently in Mwenezi
CATTLE farmers in Mwenezi will soon be benefitting from the setting up of a state-of-the-art abattoir at Rutenga by Sabi Meats that is largely expected to eliminate the middlemen who were giving farmers a raw deal by negotiating prices on their behalf.
Mwenezi is a livestock area in natural region five and is arguably the district with the most number of cattle in Zimbabwe and the lack of an abattoir in such a district was a disservice to the farmers who were selling their cattle as far as Zvishavane, Masvingo and Bulawayo.
The rural district’s chief executive officer, Mr Albert Chivanga, expressed satisfaction with the developments in the district saying they were dovetailing seamlessly with the rural industrialisation drive that President Mnangagwa’ Second Republic was pursuing. There are other investors such as Sustainable Agriculture Development (SAT) who are also into pen-fattening and growing of grass in partnership with the communities in an effort to improve the quality of beef.
“There is a state-of-the-art abattoir that is taking shape at Rutenga, a first of its kind in the entire district. It is owned by Sabi Meats and we are very happy with that development. We are basically a cattle district, with arguably the largest herd in the country and to lack that facility was a big disservice to our farmers.
“An investor – Sabi Meats saw that gap and exploited that opportunity. Our farmers were getting a raw deal from middlemen and we hope that the new facility will close that loophole and enable farmers to negotiate the prices of their beasts,” said Mr Chivanga.
He said there were other investors who were coming in to exploit the natural resources in the district and linking their investments to already established companies such as the Marula/Mapfura Processing Plant.
“We have Parrogate Investments from India that has set up a factory to process stock feed, charcoal, beauty oil, soap and vegetable oil from the marula nuts. In fact there are 17 by-products from the Marula/Mapfura Processing Plant that Parrogate is making us of to produce various products,” he added.
Mr Chivanga said most of the products were made for both local and export markets adding that ZimTrade was a partner in the marketing of the bulk of those products. The district, he said, also benefited 20 streetlights from Parrogate Investments as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility. In terms of other developments, the district’s chief executive officer said they have managed to delve into other areas such as health using the devolution funds.
“We have built Petronella Clinic in Njelele Village at a cost of ZW$140 million. The project is almost complete and it has a waiting mothers’ shelter which is also 95 percent complete,” he said.
Prior to its construction, communities used to walk more than 15km to access health services at Neshuro.
Mr Chivanga said the clinic was part of the 45 projects that were being carried under devolution in the district 37 of which were complete while eight were ongoing. He said they have also worked on piped water schemes and irrigation in the district with the help of various partners adding that it was improving the lives of communities.
Bongani Ndlovu