adminOliver Kazunga Acting Business Editor
THE TransLimpopo Spatial Development Initiative joint executive committee will soon brief the new Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland region on the progress it has made towards promoting investment.
Last month, the joint executive committee said it had come up with a final draft of a work plan to be presented to its South African counterparts soon.
The TransLimpopo Spatial Development Initiative was mooted in 2001 when South Africa and Zimbabwe signed a bilateral economic pact to increase investment in Matabeleland and South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
However, progress to implement projects that stimulate investment has been slow.
In 2004, the TransLimpopo Spatial Development Initiative came up with a road map to attract investment to Matabeleland region but no projects have been implemented 10 years on.
In an interview yesterday, the initiative’s co-chairperson Obert Sibanda said they would now be meeting the ministers of State for Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland North, and South and Bulawayo to brief them on their progress.
“We are now finalising the process of briefing them; to keep them informed of what is happening within the initiative. Suffice to say, we are dealing with our work plan,” he said.
Sibanda added that some of their joint executive committee members would this week travel to South Africa to attend the Amarula Festival in that country and would take the opportunity to meet their South African counterparts and discuss issues regarding the initiative.
“During the Amarula Festival which runs from the 27th of this month to March 1, we will take the opportunity to meet our South African counterparts and discuss some issues to do with the initiative.”
Last month, Sibanda told this paper that if their final draft work plan is approved by authorities from the two countries, progress with regards to investment promotion under the initiative would begin.
The work plan looks at identifying and consolidating investment opportunities in the region.
Stakeholders under the TransLimpopo Spatial Development Initiative have already identified possible projects in Matabeleland based on investment potential for each province in the region.
For instance, in Matabeleland North, potential has been identified in coal and coal-bed methane gas extraction and processing while in Matabeleland South, focus would be on feedlots, irrigation schemes and tourism enterprises presently underutilised.
In Bulawayo, stakeholders’ attention would be on packaging green projects as well as revamping ailing industries through joint-venture initiatives with South African investors.
Locally, the stakeholders include the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Bulawayo City Council, Gwanda Town Council and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority while on the South African side they comprise Polokwane Province and Venda University.
Online Reporter