The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
THE Government is in the process of setting up an Information Communication Technology (ICT) hub in Bulawayo as it continues to work towards an upper middle-income economy and develop employment opportunities for the youth as part of Vision 2030.
Plans for the project dubbed “Silicon Bulawayo” were revealed yesterday by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube when he toured various youth and women’s projects in Cowdary Park.
Speaking after presenting car wash and catering equipment to the youth and women in the suburb, Prof Ncube said work has already begun on establishing the ICT hub in the city centre which will house software developers and programmers.
The centre will also offer resources and office space to budding ICT entrepreneurs.
“The Second Republic has been working towards building an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and to help us achieve this, plans are at an advanced stage to establish an ICT hub in Bulawayo that we have called Silicon Bulawayo.
“Silicon Bulawayo is a hybrid project meant to capacitate youths who are either already trained in software development such as coders or programmers or those that are interested in receiving training towards working in this sector. This will help our economy through job creation and entrepreneurial development,” he said.
The ICT hub is expected to be completed by June next year and will also house a techno centre for downstream ICT industries such as cellphone and computer technicians, web developers and other associated sectors.
The Minister said Silicon Bulawayo is geared towards capacitating the youth to claim a stake in the growing ICT and digital media industries.
Government has been working toward providing greater financial support for innovation and technology in order to contribute to the national target of increasing and sustaining research and development expenditure to at least 2 percent of GDP.
Industrial establishments must also be encouraged to use technologies that minimise industrial emissions, the discharge of solid waste, and improve waste water management.
Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines of the same event, Prof Ncube revealed that he had already personally supervised the drilling of 15 boreholes in the city to help mitigate against Bulawayo’s perennial water problems.
“I have been working on trying to minimize Bulawayo’s water problems and to date 15 boreholes have already been drilled across the city. I will continue to work towards improving the water situation in Bulawayo which is also President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s concern.
“These boreholes are meant to complement the existing water sources while Central Government continues to work towards finalising projects such as the Gwayi-Shangani Dam.
“The President is very concerned about Bulawayo’s water problems and has urged me to ensure that funding is sourced and availed for the completion of the pending water provision projects,” said Minister Ncube.
The Minister pledged to continue to support the youth adding that he had a particular affinity towards young people whom he described as the future of the country.
The Finance Minister also spoke about Government’s continued efforts to recapacitate Bulawayo industries and infrastructural development.
“We want to ensure that Bulawayo awakens again as an industrial hub. We are working on ways to effectively capacitate industries that have either closed down or those that are struggling and all this is part of Government’s Vision 2030,” he said. – @RealSimbaJemwa.
