Chronicle Editor
Freeman Razemba, Harare Bureau
Vice President Constantino Guvheya Nyikadzino Dominic Chiwenga met a high powered delegation from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa at his Munhumutapa Offices in Harare yesterday.
IDC is keen to invest in Zimbabwe.
The delegation comprised officials from Guma Group owned by South African business tycoon Mr Robert Matana Gumede.
Mr Gumede was in Zimbabwe recently to cement a $1, 2 billion investment deal in key sectors of the economy.
Mr Gumede is the founder and executive chairman of Guma Group.
In an interview after meeting VP Chiwenga, Mr Eric Langalakhe Mahamba Sithole who is responsible for Functional Champion (Rest of Africa) at IDC said they were keen to invest in various sectors of the economy.
“We are here to explore opportunities, further invest in this country in the various sectors of this economy. We came to meet the Vice President who showed a lot of support to this initiative.
“He welcomed us very warmly and assured our counterparts here, the IDC of Zimbabwe, that they have his full support,” he said.
“We are looking to invest in many sectors but at the moment we are looking at chemical beneficiation in terms of fertilizer processing and will go on to other sectors such as tourism, hotels and agro beneficiation, among others.”
IDC Zimbabwe board chairman Mr Herbert Nkala said as business they were implementing the wishes of President Mnangagwa.
“The President has said to the world that Zimbabwe is open for investment and us as businesspeople are at the forefront of implementing the wish and desire by our President.
“There are people who say talk is cheap and what we are seeing today is the actual manifestation of that wish by the President,” said Mr Nkala.
He said IDC South Africa was probably the biggest industrial investor in Africa.
Guma Group business development executive Mr Emmanuel Charumbira said they will visit Zimbabwe Phosphate Industries (ZimPhos) and Chemplex Corporation, which are in dire need of resuscitation and investment.
“When Guma Group visited Zimbabwe with our executive chairman Mr Robert Gumede, we made a commitment to his Excellency the President, His Excellency the Vice President and the Governor of the Reserve Bank that our first mandate will be to quickly mobilise funding for various institutions that require urgent cash injections in their projects,” said Mr Charumbira.
The director of a local company, Brookes Enterprises, Mr Samson Paul who is also a Guma Group representative in the country, said Mr Gumede was in the process of mobilising more South African institutions to invest in Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa visited South Africa in December last year and assured investors that Zimbabwe was open for investment.
derick.khumalo