Story by Fungai Jachi
A MEDIA tour led by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda on Thursday highlighted major development projects in Masvingo Province, with mining, energy, tourism and road infrastructure emerging as key drivers of the province’s economic growth.
The delegation toured Bikita Minerals, the Great Zimbabwe Hydro Power Plant, the Great Zimbabwe Visitors Centre and the Masvingo Trumpet Interchange to assess progress on projects aligned with the country’s industrialisation and infrastructure development agenda.
At Bikita Minerals, officials outlined progress in mineral beneficiation, with investments focused on processing lithium concentrates for export rather than raw ore.
Assistant General Manager at Bikita Minerals, Engineer Thomas Mufumi said the mine continues to invest in downstream processing to maximise returns from the country’s mineral resources.
“We are on course to meet targets. Value addition at Bikita is key to Vision 2030 and ensuring Zimbabwe benefits more from its minerals. So far US$383 million has been invested in recovery of lithium, cesium and tantalium concentrates in support of government’s agenda of optimising value of all the minerals found here at Bikita Minerals.”
The delegation also toured the Great Zimbabwe Hydro Power Plant, where Projects Coordinator Engineer Ubert Chipfumbu said plans are in place to expand electricity generation.
“This is a 5-megawatt facility and we plan to expand operations as we hope to be a major contributor to the national grid.”
At the newly constructed Great Zimbabwe Visitors Centre, Regional Director for the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, Mr Lovemore Mandima said the facility is designed to improve the visitor experience while supporting tourism growth.
“This is the first port of call for our visitors so that they have an appreciation of Great Zimbabwe before they visit other destinations. There are educational rooms here as well as a restaurant. This is part of a plan to expand the tourism industry.”
Masvingo Province Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa said continued investment across key sectors is positioning the province to achieve its economic targets.
“We are happy that all sectors are doing well in mining; there is value addition and beneficiation, while energy is also being generated and roads are being fixed. All this is helping the province to do economically well as we journey towards achieving our set targets.”
Speaking after the tour, Dr Soda commended the progress made across the province.
“We visited several projects and were impressed by the progress across different sectors… Overall, Masvingo is performing well and is on course to make a significant contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product,” he said.
The projects form part of ongoing efforts to expand value addition, strengthen infrastructure, boost tourism and increase energy production as Zimbabwe advances towards Vision 2030.
