Story by Gay Matambo
MASVINGO Province has outlined vast investment opportunities within the agricultural and mining sectors, as authorities target to court interest from both domestic and foreign investors.
A stakeholder meeting convened in Mwenezi this Friday saw Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Ezra Chadzamira, outlining key measures being implemented by the government to empower districts and local authorities through exploiting investment opportunities in the district.
Sectors which include irrigation development and mining have been cited as critical.
“We were told of the vast projects they have in terms of value addition and beneficiation, and abattoir establishment. There are also many opportunities for investment, especially in the traditional grains production sector. There are also plans to develop irrigation schemes on 30 000 hectares of land. There is also citrus farming taking place, as well as sugarcane farming. If the stakeholders work together with unity of purpose and are guided by the national vision, Mwenezi will reach Vision 2030 sooner,” said Honourable Chadzamira.
The engagement also reviewed NDS1 terminal results from 2021 to 2025 for Mwenezi District.
“This engagement is important in that the stakeholders themselves hear from the leadership how we actually have to engage one another in development, and they are also alerted to the objectives of the government and how government projects must be implemented,” Mwenezi Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer, Mr Albert Chivanga, noted.
“These meetings are an eye-opener to us in terms of where our district is going as far as development is concerned. There are certain issues that we do not know, for example, the NDS1 achievements in our district, but this was a platform for us to actually discuss such issues. For us women in Mwenezi, we were given a platform to air out our concerns on the implementation of developmental projects that uplift women in our area, including irrigation development and agriculture,” a stakeholder added.
Meanwhile, the establishment of Sesame, Paprika and Marula processing plants in Mwenezi has turned the district into a model of rural industrialisation.
