News / Local
Govt rolls out plan for Bulawayo, claims Mnangagwa
07 Jun 2015 at 16:32hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has lined up a number of mega deals with friendly countries in Africa and Asia that will see the immediate resuscitation of industries in Bulawayo and accelerated economic recovery in the country, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed yesterday.
Addressing a Zanu-PF star rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, VP Mnangagwa said Government was prioritising the revival of the Cold Storage Company (CSC) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), parastatals he said were key to the country's economy.
The star rally was meant to drum up support for the five Zanu-PF candidates in Bulawayo province who are contesting in the National Assembly by-elections on Wednesday.
VP Mnangagwa also revealed that South Africa had approached Government on the possibilities of the neighbouring country drawing water from Zambezi River, a development he said would benefit Zimbabwe financially and allow for completion of the Zambezi water project which has been stalled by lack of funds.
Expressing optimism that the country's economy was poised to meteorically boom, the Vice-President said several multinational companies were making inquiries with Government with the intention of setting base in the country's second largest city.
VP Mnangagwa revealed that Zimbabwe had opened talks with Equatorial Guinea on exportation of beef to the Central African country, a deal he said compelled Government to inject capital into CSC to meet the demands of the new Guinean market.
"When President Mugabe went to Nigeria for the inauguration of President (Muhammadu) Buhari, he also visited Equatorial Guinea where he held talks with his friend President Nguema (Mbasogo).
Equatorial Guinea is a very rich small country which has a lot of oil. President Mugabe's friend expressed they would want beef from Zimbabwe and he said yes. At the moment they are getting their meat from Argentina.
"On Thursday we had a Cabinet meeting and we agreed to inject money to revive Cold Storage Company. We would want to capture that market we have been given by Equatorial Guinea. Instead of them getting their meat from Argentina they should start getting it from us.
"After injecting money into CSC, we will create employment and resuscitate the beef industry in Zimbabwe. This region has a conducive environment for cattle ranching and when we revive the beef industry it will come with a lot of downstream benefits," he said.
Speaking on the state of industry in Bulawayo, VP Mnangagwa said Bulawayo was one the country's special economic zones which had been selected to benefit from relocation of multinational companies which are willing to set base in the country.
"Bulawayo was the hub of industry but now most factories closed because of the sanctions that were invited by the MDC. But if you look in the last two to three years the economy has been growing despite the sanctions.
"There are a lot of global international companies that are looking for relocation. We have conducted a study on what attracts companies to a country and we are working on making the environment conducive for these companies.
"These big companies have markets already around the globe and are looking for areas to set base and operate from. We have selected Bulawayo as one of our special economic zones which will benefit from the relocation of these companies.
"The relocation of these companies will benefit the city in terms of employment creation among other things," he said.
VP Mnangagwa also revealed that the country had engaged India for the rehabilitation of the country's rail network as well as construction of new railroads that would enable the country to increase its capacity to transport exports to Mozambican ports.
He said the rehabilitation of the rail network and construction of new rail roads would enable the country to meet export demands as a number of countries were showing interest in the country's resources.
VP Mnangagwa said Japan was one of the countries interested in Zimbabwe's resources, with the Asian country having engaged Government to buy coal from Zimbabwe.
The Vice-President said talks that were opened between Zimbabwe and China over capital injection recently would see Zimbabwe coming up with numerous development programmes that would be directly funded by the Chinese government.
"We are now talking to India over the rehabilitation of our railway network and construction of new railroads. We are talking to Mozambique who are building a new port in Nakala. They are building a railway line from Tete to Nakala and we are also working on a new railway line from Harare to Tete. That would also mean revitalisation of the NRZ. We also have plans to have another railway line from Harare to Lusaka.
"Japan wants our coal and for us to be able to meet the demand our railways must be revamped. Resuscitation of NRZ will mean more jobs being created.
"When President went to China last year, the Chinese President Xi Jinping told us to come up with projects that his Government would fund. Any amount of project, they are prepared to fund. As we speak the onus is now on us to come up with the projects that they are prepared to fund. We are on the brink of flying up. Sanctions or no sanctions, no one will stand in our way to develop. We are a sleeping giant," he said.
On the Zambezi National Water Project VP Mnangagwa said talks between Zimbabwe and South Africa were in motion on the possibility of the latter drawing water from Zambezi River.
"South Africa sent their Minister of Water to us who met and convinced (Minister Saviour) Kasukuwere on their proposal. They want to work with us to get water from Zambezi. They will give us money which we will use to implement the Zambezi Water Project. That project will pass through this region going to South Africa with South Africa paying us for the water. Matabeleland region will also benefit from the project and water problems in Bulawayo will be addressed," he said.
The rally was attended by cabinet Ministers, Zanu PF politburo members and members of the party's central committee.
Among those in attendance were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate who is also the Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, War Veterans Minister Chris Mutsvangwa, Politburo members Cdes Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, July Moyo, Joshua Malinga and Absolom Sikhosana among others.
Addressing a Zanu-PF star rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo, VP Mnangagwa said Government was prioritising the revival of the Cold Storage Company (CSC) and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), parastatals he said were key to the country's economy.
The star rally was meant to drum up support for the five Zanu-PF candidates in Bulawayo province who are contesting in the National Assembly by-elections on Wednesday.
VP Mnangagwa also revealed that South Africa had approached Government on the possibilities of the neighbouring country drawing water from Zambezi River, a development he said would benefit Zimbabwe financially and allow for completion of the Zambezi water project which has been stalled by lack of funds.
Expressing optimism that the country's economy was poised to meteorically boom, the Vice-President said several multinational companies were making inquiries with Government with the intention of setting base in the country's second largest city.
VP Mnangagwa revealed that Zimbabwe had opened talks with Equatorial Guinea on exportation of beef to the Central African country, a deal he said compelled Government to inject capital into CSC to meet the demands of the new Guinean market.
"When President Mugabe went to Nigeria for the inauguration of President (Muhammadu) Buhari, he also visited Equatorial Guinea where he held talks with his friend President Nguema (Mbasogo).
Equatorial Guinea is a very rich small country which has a lot of oil. President Mugabe's friend expressed they would want beef from Zimbabwe and he said yes. At the moment they are getting their meat from Argentina.
"On Thursday we had a Cabinet meeting and we agreed to inject money to revive Cold Storage Company. We would want to capture that market we have been given by Equatorial Guinea. Instead of them getting their meat from Argentina they should start getting it from us.
"After injecting money into CSC, we will create employment and resuscitate the beef industry in Zimbabwe. This region has a conducive environment for cattle ranching and when we revive the beef industry it will come with a lot of downstream benefits," he said.
Speaking on the state of industry in Bulawayo, VP Mnangagwa said Bulawayo was one the country's special economic zones which had been selected to benefit from relocation of multinational companies which are willing to set base in the country.
"Bulawayo was the hub of industry but now most factories closed because of the sanctions that were invited by the MDC. But if you look in the last two to three years the economy has been growing despite the sanctions.
"There are a lot of global international companies that are looking for relocation. We have conducted a study on what attracts companies to a country and we are working on making the environment conducive for these companies.
"The relocation of these companies will benefit the city in terms of employment creation among other things," he said.
VP Mnangagwa also revealed that the country had engaged India for the rehabilitation of the country's rail network as well as construction of new railroads that would enable the country to increase its capacity to transport exports to Mozambican ports.
He said the rehabilitation of the rail network and construction of new rail roads would enable the country to meet export demands as a number of countries were showing interest in the country's resources.
VP Mnangagwa said Japan was one of the countries interested in Zimbabwe's resources, with the Asian country having engaged Government to buy coal from Zimbabwe.
The Vice-President said talks that were opened between Zimbabwe and China over capital injection recently would see Zimbabwe coming up with numerous development programmes that would be directly funded by the Chinese government.
"We are now talking to India over the rehabilitation of our railway network and construction of new railroads. We are talking to Mozambique who are building a new port in Nakala. They are building a railway line from Tete to Nakala and we are also working on a new railway line from Harare to Tete. That would also mean revitalisation of the NRZ. We also have plans to have another railway line from Harare to Lusaka.
"Japan wants our coal and for us to be able to meet the demand our railways must be revamped. Resuscitation of NRZ will mean more jobs being created.
"When President went to China last year, the Chinese President Xi Jinping told us to come up with projects that his Government would fund. Any amount of project, they are prepared to fund. As we speak the onus is now on us to come up with the projects that they are prepared to fund. We are on the brink of flying up. Sanctions or no sanctions, no one will stand in our way to develop. We are a sleeping giant," he said.
On the Zambezi National Water Project VP Mnangagwa said talks between Zimbabwe and South Africa were in motion on the possibility of the latter drawing water from Zambezi River.
"South Africa sent their Minister of Water to us who met and convinced (Minister Saviour) Kasukuwere on their proposal. They want to work with us to get water from Zambezi. They will give us money which we will use to implement the Zambezi Water Project. That project will pass through this region going to South Africa with South Africa paying us for the water. Matabeleland region will also benefit from the project and water problems in Bulawayo will be addressed," he said.
The rally was attended by cabinet Ministers, Zanu PF politburo members and members of the party's central committee.
Among those in attendance were Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate who is also the Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, War Veterans Minister Chris Mutsvangwa, Politburo members Cdes Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, July Moyo, Joshua Malinga and Absolom Sikhosana among others.
Source - sundaynews
