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Michael Magoronga
THE hospitality industry in Kwekwe is pinning its survival hopes on the anticipated re-opening of Ziscosteel after years of low business linked to the death of the city’s biggest firm.
The Government, in August, announced that it had secured $1 billion investment for the revival of Ziscosteel from a Chinese company in a deal that will result in one million tonnes of steel being produced in the next 18 months.
The investment was expected to rise to $2 billion upon completion of all the implementation stages.
The Chinese investor is R and F Company, which is also involved in various investments ranging from mining to real estate and tourism. Kwekwe Hoteliers’ Association president Mr Solomon Matsa who is also proprietor of Golden Mile Hotel, said business has been low owing to closure of companies, not only in Kwekwe but the country at large.
“Generally, business has been low for us in Kwekwe and we are just hoping that the re-opening of Ziscosteel that Government is facilitating will improve our business,” Mr Matsa said.
He said downstream companies that will be opened once Ziscosteel comes on line were also set to provide business to the city’s hospitality industry. Mr Matsa said the formation of the association was meant to counter the challenges individual businesses were facing.
“We have come up with an association so that we can discuss and tackle the challenges that befall us as Kwekwe hoteliers,” he said.
He said the association was also meant to ensure that there are linkages in business.
“Our association is made up of 18 members. Since we are surviving on workshops and conferences, if one of us gets a bigger group, we can share guests among ourselves for sustainability,” he said.
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