Bimha to focus on Bulawayo revival

NEWLY appointed Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha has said Government would prioritise industrial reviaval in Bulawayo.

Bimha, who was the Deputy Minister in the same portfolio in the previous Government, said the roadmap for revamping industry was already in place and only needed to be reinforced through financing.

"Our party campaigned on the basis of a manifesto and when people give you the mandate you have to deliver. I will look at how best to ensure the promises we made are realised. Sourcing funding for the recapitalisation of companies is a major issue and that will be our focus."

Bimha said he would use his term of office to intensify stakeholder consultation across the board with the view of getting their input on how best the companies could be financed.

He said such an approach would provide a holistic framework that will consolidate the Zanu-PF election manifesto, which lays out a programme of empowerment based economic developing.

Bimha said while funding facilities like the Distressed Industries and Marginalised Areas Fund (Dimaf) would be maintained, the ministry will review the facility to increase its effectiveness.


There was a concern that Dimaf, which was meant to recapitalise Bulawayo companies, failed to bring the expected results as it was marred by inadequate release of funds by the then Finance Minister, Mr Tendai Biti of MDC-T.

Bulawayo companies had complained that the $40 million under Dimaf was not enough while others said the conditions set for the loan were not favourable. Bimha expressed confidence that meaningful industrial growth will be achieved this time around given the fact that the new Cabinet has the same ideological thrust.

Close to 100 companies have closed shop in Bulawayo in the past decade leaving thousands of workers jobless while the few remaining firms are operating below their expected capacity utilisation. Industrialists have called for the adoption of innovative strategies towards revitalising industry with emphasis being placed on enhancing competitiveness and identifying opportunities in the existing market.

Economists believe Bulawayo has many investment opportunities in the energy production sector given the city's geographic location. They say Matabeleland region has a lot of sunshine and is closer to raw materials required in energy production, hence better placed to establish new private power generation plants that can feed into the national grid.