Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has expressed his admiration for the progress made on the Palm River Special Economic Zone project, where over US$200 million has been invested so far.
He stated that the progress is a testament to the Government’s efforts to create a conducive business environment and attract investments.
In Beitbridge, Vice President Chiwenga also tracked progress at the new US$30 million Orange Ville Citrus project, the multi-million-dollar Nottingham Estate Citrus project, and the Palm River projects, all of which promise to be game changers for the region and the country’s economy.
The Palm River SEZ project, whose groundbreaking ceremony was presided over by President Mnangagwa earlier this year, includes a thermal power station, a chrome smelting plant and a coal coking plant, among other segments.
This investment is expected to drive infrastructure development, rural industrialisation, and agricultural reform, ultimately contributing to the growth of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“We are happy with the progress that we have seen. There are great improvements from what we have observed compared to what we saw during the groundbreaking ceremony when we came with His Excellency President Mnangagwa,” said Vice President Chiwenga.
“Most of the major components of this project are now operating in full swing, such as the ferrochrome plant, the coking coal plant and the thermal power station, among others. Now they have a laboratory here, in full operation, where they are testing all the chemicals. We have also seen great progress in their coking coal plant. We are impressed and this is what we want to see.”
Vice President Chiwenga also noted that the company had taken seriously the issues of skills transfer to Zimbabweans and those from the local communities.
He mentioned that many students from local high schools, mostly girls, have been given opportunities to learn more technical skills in the laboratories and other facilities at the SEZ project.
The Vice President also called on the investors to fully invest in a robust skills transfer programme for local Zimbabweans.
“This model can help us build improved people-to-people relationships in our two countries, Zimbabwe and the People’s Republic of China.
“It is impressive that we have seen more young women who are learning many technical skills at this project,” said Vice President Chiwenga.
Deputy Mines and Mining Development Minister Engineer Caleb Makwiranzou said the company had invested US$237 million in the Beitbridge project over the last two years.
He mentioned that the company is set to invest a total of US$3,6 billion into the Palm River SEZ project over 12 years.
The Deputy Minister stated that a total of 800 Zimbabweans, mostly from the Beitbridge community, have been hired on a full-time basis.
“This is an impressive investment that has employed more than 800 Zimbabweans and we understand that they intend to hire close to 10 000 people over 12 years. This is a game changer for us as Matabeleland South in growing our Gross Domestic Product,” said Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe.
“You will note that the coming of this project has revived mining activities in our area and it has many downstream benefits for local communities and businesses. In addition, they intend to revive the rail system in Beitbridge and assist in the construction of more schools and primary healthcare facilities in this district. At the same time, we have emphasised that the bulk of the general staff should be engaged from the Beitbridge community.”
VP Chiwenga’s visit aimed to assess the implementation of high-impact projects in the province, including the Gwanda Lithium Mine and the Tuli Manyange Dam projects. During the tour, he also underscored the importance of water projects in supporting development, particularly in the agriculture and mining sectors.
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