The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani News Editor
EACH of Manicaland’s seven districts will have a special economic zone, with investments worth millions of United States dollars expected in the immediate future.
Some of the projects that already have investors include the Dairy Valley in Odzi, the Checheche Solar Project, a peanut butter making plant in Mutare, Banana Valley in Burma Valley, a seven-star hotel and conference centre in Fern Hill, Mutare, macadamia and coffee processing plants in Chipinge, a cigarette manufacturing plant in Makoni, a dry port at Arda Transau and a new settlement at Odzi Transau.
The building of the Arda Transau dry port is on course and is being financed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
As Government gears towards reviving various sectors of the economy and attaining an upper middle income status by 2030, value addition is also taking centre stage in Manicaland’s development agenda.
In an interview with The Manica Post on Wednesday, ahead of Zimbabwe’s 40th Independence Anniversary tomorrow, the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba said a number of investors have approached her office expressing interest in funding the multi-million projects that are set to transform the face of the province.
She said the province’s development will be premised on special economic zones.
Some of these,including the gemology centre in Fern Hill and the Honde Valley project, have already been approved by Cabinet.
“We have already been awarded a special economic zone status in Fern Hill, where we are establishing a gemology centre.
“Government has availed $30 million for construction work to start. The gemology centre will be like a university which will train students to cut and polish diamonds and other precious minerals, including gold.
“Besides the gemology centre, we will also establish a diamond park where people from all over the world will converge to buy diamonds.”
Minister Gwaradzimba went on to highlight that the province’s economic growth will also be anchored on value addition in line with the country’s Transitional Stabilisation Program.
“In terms of value addition, we will manufacture jewellery at the diamond park. We are also setting up an industrial hub at Fern Hill for students to get hands-on experience. This will be an industrial centre,” said Dr Gwaradzimba. Besides diamonds, the province has set its sight on extensive dairy farming promotion.
A Milk Valley is set to be established in Odzi.
“We are in the process of establishing a Milk Valley which will specialise in dairy farming. We will set up a dairy processing factory in Odzi. We are partnering with a Botswana-headquartered organisation, MilkAfric, in rolling out this project.
“A committee that will work on the Milk Valley project has already been set up. Twenty students have been selected to study dairy farming in the United States of America for two years. Upon return, they will manage the dairy production plant,” said the minister.
To boost milk production, farms have been identified to grow Lausanne grass. A Banana Valley has also been earmarked for Burma Valley.
“So many bananas are being grown in Chipinge and Honde Valley. We are in the process of doing the paperwork for the Honde Valley special economic zone, which was recently approved by Government,” she said.
She went on to urge farmers who are in areas suitable for the production of macadamia nuts to intensify production. A macadamia processing plant will be established in the Chipinge district.
“We want to expand macadamia production in Chipinge. We encourage those in areas that are suitable for the crop’s growth to grow macadamia nuts.
“I have already spoken to President Mnangagwa and the Agriculture Minister (Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement), Cde Perrance Shiri. They have both pledged to support this project.
“Farmers also need to resuscitate coffee and tea production. Manicaland has the perfect climate for that.” Manicaland is also expected to leverage on its timber plantations with factories being established to manufacture state-of-the-art furniture for both local and export markets.
A cigarette manufacturing plant is set to be established in Makoni district, whose tobacco production is huge.
“A company called Zark presented proposals of setting up a cigarette factory in the district,” she said.
For Buhera’s regions four and five, Dr Gwaradzimba called on farmers to focus on grains.
“The traditional grains will ensure the country’s food security, so we will up our game in Buhera with regards to the production of ground nuts, round nuts, sorghum and rapoko, etcetera,” she said.
With regards to tourism, Dr Gwaradzimba said the people in Manicaland can look forward to serious infrastructural development that will make the province more attractive.
The picturesque province is a tourism magnet for both local and international tourists.
“We are planning to build a seven-star hotel and a conference centre at Fern Hill.”
Seven-star hotels are hotels that have the highest level of luxury available in the world. The super luxurious Burj Al Arab in Dubai is one such hotel.
“Before the outbreak of Covid-19, I had wrote to officials in Dubai and Abu Dhabi inviting them to come and explore the tourism business opportunities available in Manicaland.
“But apart from international tourists, we want to promote domestic tourism so that the locals can also appreciate the province’s beauty. Most people here in Manicaland have never been to Nyanga because we do not have that culture of travelling.
“So tourism is a low hanging fruit. We have Nyanga, Vumba, Mutiusinazita, Hot Springs and Matendera Ruins. These sites all need to be explored,” she said.
“We are in partnership with a South African company, Coega. In South Africa, they transformed the Eastern Cape from being one of the poorest provinces in that country to being an economic giant,” said the minister.
Dr Gwaradzimba also revealed that plans are afoot to build new settlements.
“We toured Arda Transau, where villagers from Chiadzwa were resettled by mining companies. We want to expand the settlements. An investor wants to build 2 500 three bedroomed houses and develop the settlements’ irrigation infrastructure so that each household will have one and half hectares of land under irrigation.
It is envisioned that the settlements will have social amenities and infrastructure that include tarred roads, electricity, solar energy, a hospital, clinics, schools and a college.
“This is the model we will be applying in Chimanimani for the families displaced by Cyclone Idai,” Dr Gwaradzimba said.
