Sidumisile Mabena
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
PRESIDENT Boko Duma has said the region is firmly on a positive trajectory towards industrialisation through value addition, citing impressive exhibitions at this year’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF).
President Duma made the remarks shortly after touring various stands alongside his host, President Mnangagwa.
The two leaders visited several pavilions including Geo Pomona, the Botswana national stand, the European Union delegation, CMED, and key ZANU PF exhibits.
“The region wants to industrialise and industrialise very fast, so we must produce the raw material and then convert this raw material into goods that we can then deploy in our development agenda,” President Duma said.
He expressed excitement at the diversity of local enterprise on display.
“I have seen here many companies, large and small, involved in many sectors – agriculture, construction, food, agro-processing, leather. It’s a brilliant, brilliant initiative. You can see that our people are up and coming, and young people are also involved in tech and artificial intelligence,” he said.
He emphasised that the region is shifting from being a passive consumer.
“It shows that we are not just now recipients, but we are purveyors of knowledge; we are generators of knowledge as well, making world-class products. This ZITF has showcased that. Brilliant. We know there’s a lot that they are doing,” he said.
Online Reporter