Hope for Byo

GOVERNMENT has lined a number of projects for Matabeleland region, chief among them an urgent move to resuscitate collapsing industries and ease water woes as a way of developing the region which has seen stunted growth for many years.
Nine ministers, who attended the Matabeleland region crisis indaba held at Elangeni Institute of Training and Development in Bulawayo yesterday, said their respective ministries would come up with accelerated projects that would contribute to the development of the region.
Among the projects would be the recapitalisation of Bulawayo’s biggest employer — National Railways of Zimbabwe — which is expected to be running at optimal capacity by the end of the year.

Government also said construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, one of the major projects set to ease water problems in the region, would be complete by 2016.

Bulawayo is also set to get more land to expand operations especially land for residential development to address the accommodation challenges the city is facing.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Dr Obert Mpofu said his ministry was geared to deliver its Zim Asset mandate, outlining a number of programmes the ministry aimed to embark on in the region.

Dr Mpofu said his ministry was working on resuscitating State enterprises that fall under its ambit, pointing out that the National Railways of Zimbabwe would be given top most priority.

He pledged that by year end the parastatal would be on its feet again.
“We are taking steps to recapitalise NRZ and I can tell you that we have already engaged reputable financial institutions to secure capital for the enterprise. I’m confident that NRZ will go back to the railway service it was. It was the mainstay of Bulawayo’s economy and that is where we want to take it.

“By year end NRZ will be operating and if that does not happen, you can take me to task,” he said.
Dr Mpofu also revealed that his ministry had embarked on a massive national road rehabilitation programme which would see 16 major roads in the region being rehabilitated using internal resources.

He highlighted the Bulawayo-Nkayi road, Bulawayo-Lupane road, Bulawayo-Tsholotsho road, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road and the roads which connect Kwekwe, Nkayi and Lupane as some of the major roads that his ministry would rehabilitate before the end of the year.

The Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Change, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, said his ministry was committed to the completion of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project which he said was the ultimate solution to water problems in the region.

He said the first phase of the water project, the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam would be complete by 2016, highlighting that the completion of the dam would bring a number of spill-off economic benefits worth over $1 billion to the region’s populace.

“The dam, after construction will measure about 100 kilometres and it will be one of the largest inland dams in the country. That would be the first phase which we hope will be complete by 2016 because the funds are already there. This will be the first phase of the water project.

“The second phase would be the construction of a pipeline from Gwayi to Bulawayo and then take it to Matabeleland South. That will go a
long way in ending the water crisis in the region. The third and last phase will be the construction of a pipeline from Zambezi River to Gwayi-Shangani Dam.”

Cde Kasukuwere also revealed that his ministry had drilled 2 000 boreholes in the region with 8 000 other expected to be drilled by year end in a bid to reduce the region’s water challenges.

Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement acknowledged that Bulawayo was facing shortages of land for expansion and pledged that his ministry was prepared to assist the metropolitan province in acquiring more land from neighbouring provinces.

He urged the Bulawayo’s province leadership and Bulawayo City Council to apply for expansion and activate the Presidential declaration which entitles the province to land which is within 40 kilometres of its radius.

“There is no reason why Matabeleland North or South provinces will not give you land. Land which is within a 40 kilometre radius from your boundary is yours and what you simply need to do is apply for it. I encourage leadership in the province to apply for that land and I pledge that within a day I will have approved that application,” he said.

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Cde Sithembiso Nyoni, said the solution to the region’s perennial poor harvests was adoption of small grain.

She urged farmers in the region to emulate their counterparts in Masvingo who she said managed to reduce the impact of drought in their region by growing small grains which are drought resistant.

Cde Nyoni also urged small enterprises in the region to approach her office for technical and financial support to enhance their businesses into large enterprises which can create employment in the region.

Senior Minister of State in the President’s Office Cde Simon Khaya Moyo said ministries must think of the economic blueprint – Zim Asset – when implementing the projects.

He said the region had a number of challenges which had been also made worse by recurrent droughts and the illegal sanctions imposed by some western countries.

“One major problem affecting the region is the closure of companies. Bulawayo was known as the hub of industry in the country but most buildings in the city which used to be productive have now been reduced to white elephants.”

Cde Moyo said areas like Hwange, Gwanda, Plumtree, Beitbridge and Victoria Falls were not spared when it comes to closure of companies.
“The situation is depressing everywhere and this is affecting the pace of development in the region.”

Other ministers that were present at the Indaba included Cdes Kembo Mohadi (Home Affairs), Andrew Langa (Sport, Arts and Culture), Eunice Moyo (Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo) and Abedinico Ncube (Provincial Affairs in Matabeleland South).

The other ministers who were supposed to attend the meeting to give presentations but failed to do so sent in apologies and gave varying reasons and Cde Khaya Moyo said a separate meeting with the ministers would be set up soon.

Cdes Patrick Chinamasa (Finance), Francis Nhema (Youth), Walter Chidhakwa (Mining) and Dzikamai Mavhaire (Energy), did not attend the meeting.