Bulawayo: Gracious hosts to our National Day and ZITF

ED Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe 

OUR Constitution which came into force in 2013 enjoins us to decentralise and devolve management of national affairs. That section was written into our Constitution to ensure all communities and regions have equal say, participation and visibility in the affairs of our Nation. We have since captured and capsulised that constitutional expectation through the mantra: leaving no one and no place behind.    

This year’s Independence Celebrations stood out and commissioned a new tradition and trajectory in the way our Nation hosts and handles National Events. We broke with the long-established tradition where all National Events and Commemorations were held in Harare, the Capital City. For the first time since our Independence, Bulawayo Province and City hosted our National Day, thus blazing a new trail and tradition where from now on, all provinces take turns to host National Events and Commemorations.

Bulawayo Province and City did not disappoint; they raised the bar, thus challenging all other provinces yet to host such Commemorations. From the Children’s Party, the Independence Eve Reception, right through to the Main Commemorations in Barbourfields Stadium, everything proceeded like clockwork, with not a single glitch. Thank you Bulawayo Province and City for rising to the occasion, and for being such a gracious and nationally-conscious host! You have challenged Mashonaland Central Province, our host next year.   

Together with the First Lady and our Family, my three days in the City of Kings and Queens were eventful. We relished every moment of our stay, as I am sure did sample delegates drawn from all provinces of our country. The Children’s Party, the Independence Eve Reception at Bulawayo State House, and the main Commemorations in Barbourfields Stadium, simply confirmed Bulawayo as the cultural capital of our Nation. Together with displays by our Security Arms, the whole package was a rich and enchanting cultural ensemble, a real window to who we are as a nation that bubbles with creativity, a nation at peace, united and radiating hope in its secure future.     

Bulawayo’s future is growing more secure by the day. The water challenges which dogged it from its inception as a sprawling town and city, will be resolved soon. Government is chasing a very tight timeline to ensure Bulawayo’s thirst is permanently slacked by end of this year. Gwai-Shangani Lake is on course to completion. Work on the over 270-kilometre pipeline which is set to deliver abundant water to Bulawayo City, has begun. Once done, the pipeline will green several agricultural projects along the way.

With insights on thermal gas power station I got from my recent State Visit to Mozambique, the same pipeline will help actualise our plans to exploit Lupane Gas Fields. It is a double for Bulawayo and the entire Matabeleland Region which stands to benefit from growth spurts which this development triggers.   

The power line connecting Hwange 7 and 8 to the main Station at Insukamini is near completion. Before year-end, the first Unit — Hwange 7 — will come on line, thus boosting our national power supply. Aged Thermal Units in Bulawayo are set to be revamped and upgraded, thanks to a loan Government secured from India. With secure water and power supply, Bulawayo can now unleash its energies, thus reinstating its coveted status as our country’s industrial hub. 

Last year I paid a working visit to Bulawayo. I toured a number of industries, the majority of which had long been mothballed or even closed. They have now reopened, presaging the return of industrial confidence through which we reassert our pole position as a manufacturing nation, north of the Limpopo. I am happy that the Cold Storage Company, CSC, is slowly but surely being rebuilt. It is a key enterprise which drives Bulawayo’s overall recovery. A buoyant CSC must lead in re-establishing our status as a global supplier of quality, tasty beef. Markets for Zimbabwean beef are abundant and insatiable. 

I am aware that National Railways of Zimbabwe, NRZ, is headquartered here. Again I paid a visit to it, with a view to assessing its needs for full recovery. I am happy that the roadmap for the recovery of NRZ is now clearer. A partner has now been secured. As with the rest of the country, Bulawayo needs an efficient railway system to integrate our Economy and to connect us to key ports for inbound and outbound economic activities. 

Recently I noted with concern the state of disrepair of two key aerodromes: in Hwange and in Binga. With the pace at which both Hwange and Victoria Falls are growing, as well as the grand vision for tourism we have along the Binga — Kanyemba stretch of the Zambezi River, these aerodromes are going to be rehabilitated. Again Bulawayo is the biggest beneficiary. 

Amid the joyous Independence Festivities, I detected undercurrents of some dignified hustle and bustle in the City of Kings and Queens. It was then I remembered that barely a week apart, Bulawayo was set to host a key international event, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, ZITF. It takes a Province and City of real capacity to handle such key events in such close succession. As I write, the ZITF Grounds are abuzz as Bulawayo prepares for this premier event.

The Province and City will again host our Nation. Above all, it will host the Head of State of the sister Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, who is set to open the Fair. This warm and personable City will also honour President Kenyatta by renaming a road in his honour. I heartily thank Bulawayo Province and City for playing a key role in actualising and furthering our Policy of Engagement and Re-engagement. 

In closing, let me pay tribute to our working class, both in formal and in informal employment. Together, we continue to create and add value to our Economy, thus making it productive and competitive. The African Continental Free Trade Area we signed up to, requires that we produce and manufacture goods so we can trade with the rest of our Continent. This assignment has become even more urgent, with the upheavals registering in global markets. As we celebrate Workers’ Day, let us commit ourselves to more productive work and to doubling National value so we meet our growth and development targets, both of which are within grasp. 

Again, thank you Bulawayo Province and City for blazing a new trail, and for bearing so ably the double burden of hosting our Nation and the World.                

ED Mnangagwa,

President of Zimbabwe