BULAWAYO, Matabeleland North and South Provincial Affairs and Devolution ministers have called on investors to take up unmatched vast opportunities in the region.
They made the call during the Rural Industrialisation Indaba held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo on Tuesday.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Judith Ncube said the city had huge potential for manufacturing as well as processing agricultural and mining inputs.
“Our clothing manufacturing companies rely on fabric from other parts of the country, especially Mashonaland West, though a large chunk of that fabric is still being imported. There is the opportunity to manufacture more fabric locally to cater for the expansion of the clothing industry,” Ncube said.
Ncube said Bulawayo had capacity to manufacture or assemble equipment that supported agriculture and manufacturing.
“These linkages across the country are the basis for industrialisation and economic development,” she said.
Richard Moyo, the Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister for Matabeleland North, said his province had large tracts of land with huge opportunities for investment in agriculture and infrastructural development.
“It (province) has huge tracts of land and it has 75 000 square kilometres and is the biggest province geographically in the country. It is also the second least populated province, hence there is more land available for investment,” Moyo said.
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“We also have minerals, gold in Bubi, platinum in Kamativi, coal in Hwange, methane gas in Lupane, a natural gift from God, the Victoria Falls. We have big national parks such as Hwange National Park, huge forests in Nkayi, Lupane and Tsholotsho, where we have very rich untapped natural forests.”
Albert Nguluvhe, the Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister for Matabeleland South province, said there were opportunities for gold mining and ranching.
“There are opportunities in terms of gold and lithium mining, and also there is the issue of coal, which is a new mineral in Beitbridge. In the past years, we have seen mining of lithium in Insiza and Gwanda districts by Africa Resources Mineral Investments,” Nguluvhe said.
The indaba was held under the theme Inclusive Growth, Industrial Roots, Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Potential.
