Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
Innovation is driving development in Mashonaland Central Province, with indigenous materials being used to provide solutions to local challenges.
This emerged during a media tour of projects undertaken by government officials in Mashonaland Central province this Thursday.
The province is riding on a wave of development ushered in by the Second Republic in various sectors such as education, manufacturing and mining, among others.
At Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), students and staff welcomed creation of an innovation hub that is driving value addition of natural products and manufacturing of information communication technology (ICT) gadgets.
Said one of the staff members at the university. “Here at the innovation hub we are researching and innovating. We have developed several soft wares in the Software Development Section such as city pin.”
“As a student, I am benefitting from employment at the University’s innovation hub because I am doing a degree program about software engineering so I am attached here. I actually hope to develop software,” a student said.
Indigenous products are being processed to make food, health and beauty care products for the benefit of local consumers, while the country’s first optometry clinic established in 2023 is open to the public.
“There are several products developed here such as anti-ageing cream, mouth wash, antibacterial soap and we are using indigenous products to make these items,” an official said.
Another stated, “This optometry clinic is attracting people from as far as Bulawayo and Masvingo because here you can get your eyeglasses in 2 to 3 days unlike at other optometrists. All these developments are thanks to government’s leadership.”
The nation has adequate fertiliser supplies for its flagship Pfumvudza/ Intwasa programme and this was evidenced at FSG, which has become a prominent employer in Bindura.
A representative of the company told the ZBC News, “We import raw materials, manufacture some locally and produce fertiliser. This season we have supplied about 70 percent of government’s requirements for the Pfumvudza programme).
Providing safe water, improving hygiene and sanitation is a major priority of the Second Republic with President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioning Chillmund Chemicals in October 2023.
The plant was running at full throttle during the day’s visit.
“We manufacture aluminium sulphate a water treatment chemical and are supplying several local authorities. We intend to expand by building a sulphuric acid processing plant,” noted an official of the company.
The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, who led a media tour of the BUSE innovation hub, optometry clinic and students’ accommodation facilities, FSG, Chillmund chemicals and Ran Mine summarised the success stories witnessed as a deliberate effort to create employment and generate more local revenue.
“In terms of Vision 2030, human capital development is one of our priorities which will propel achievements across all sectors of our economy. We are all aware that mining sector pre-2017 had a contribution of around US$3 billion and under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, we now have a 15-billion-dollar contribution to our economy. In terms of finance and mathematics, we know that fertiliser contributes plus 50 percent to the cost of production so by virtue of the fertiliser plan we reduce the import bill. If you import more it means you are exporting jobs so all these success stories under the leadership of President ED Mnangagwa indicate a growth strategy which has improved in terms of our current account which has also ensured we are able to tame inflation. So, this is the use of technology for us to produce more,” he said.
Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Christopher Magomo weighed in saying the province is focused on increasing its contribution to the national gross domestic product.
“What we are going to witness economic transformation at its best where the new dispensation is fighting very hard to ensure that each one of us is at an upper middle economy by 2030. We do that by also following or trying very hard to work with pillars of NDS1 which will soon be NDS2 by end of 2025. So, we have seen quite a number developments that have taken place in the new dispensation, the likes of the water purification plant which is Chillmund, commissioned by His Excellency in 2023. So, we are very happy you are here. We do a lot, we lead and others follow.”
Mashonaland Central Province will get an opportunity to showcase its rich agriculture scene which has benefitted from government’s land reform programme as the media shifts focus to agriculture this Friday.
