Masvingo braces for 9 000 new jobs

MASVINGO is bracing for close to 9 000 new jobs that will be created across the province following moves by Government to re-open three mothballed firms as President Mnangagwa’s administration continues to walk the talk on its business first drive.

The CSC plant in the country’s oldest town will soon resume full-scale operations after President Mnangagwa toured the firm in the Masvingo Industrial area last month and revealed that Government had secured investors to revive operations in a development expected to create about 4 000 direct jobs.

Operations at CSC ceased more than 15 years ago with the firm battling working capital constraints among other challenges that culminated in the plant being put under care and maintenance.

Operations at Mashava’s King Mine are also set to resume after Government injected working capital at the asbestos miner that is part of Shabanie Mashava Mine and management at the firm told President Mnangagwa during a tour in July, that mineral extraction was due to start early next year after de-watering of flooded shafts.

More than 2 500 direct jobs will be created when production reaches full scale. President Mnangagwa’s administration also signed a special coal mining grant with Steelmakers — which runs the SIMBI sponge iron plant in the town — in deal that will see the firm investing $120 million to expand its local operations.

The Government-Steelmakers deal will see SIMBI increasing its workforce to more than 2 000, which will help stem unemployment in Masvingo province.

Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Lovemore Matuke yesterday said the province was expecting more than 9 000 new jobs to be created in the near future in Masvingo, thanks to President Mnangagwa’s ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ mantra.

Cde Matuke, who is secretary for Security in the Politburo said Masvingo is never going to be the same owing to thousands of jobs that are in the offing courtesy of CSC, Mashava Mine and Steelmakers.

“All in all we are looking at more than 9 000 new direct jobs that will be created for the sons and daughters of Masvingo because of the work being done by President Mnangagwa’s administration,” he said.

He said the new job opportunities will improve Masvingo’s economy and turn the tide of employment in the province attributed to a dearth in investment.

“It has been a long time since big companies opened shop in Masvingo and we want to applaud President Mnangagwa for the work he has been doing to economically transform our province through his business first doctrine that will bring immense benefits to our people,” he said.

Cde Matuke said Masvingo’s economy will improve further leading to the creation of more job opportunities with thousands more workers expected to be employed once the dualisation of the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare Highway starts.

President Mnangagwa’s administration cancelled a tender awarded to Geiger International — an Austrian firm that had won the bid embark on the $1 billion-dollar project.

A Chinese firm is now expected to carry the dualisation project. Cde Matuke said Masvingo’s vast irrigation potential, thanks to Tugwi-Mukosi Dam will open additional opportunities for employment creation with investors in fisheries, cash crops production and wildlife, billed to exploit avenues created by the vast water body.

The mining town of Mashava was slowly turning into a ghost urban settlement after asbestos production ceased and the impending resumption of fibre extraction will breathe new life into the settlement.

SIMBI’s plant in the Masvingo industrial area was under care and maintenance and used to produce sponge iron from iron ore and limestone shipped from Glenlivet hills — about 40km east of the city.

The company closed shop after iron and steel prices dipped on the international market. ZANU-PF national Youth League secretary Cde Pupurai Togarepi has urged the newly-elected National Assembly members to prioritise the setting up of youth empowerment desks, which will act as official platforms for coordinating and discussing various developmental issues and challenges facing the youths.

He said they (youths) deserved a special recognition since they were the vanguard of the revolutionary party.

In an interview yesterday, Cde Togarepi said young people should refuse to be manipulated by politicians to engage in violence.

“ZANU-PF is encouraging all new legislators who won the justended harmonised elections to form youth desks.

“The desks should be set up at their respective constituency offices, where party programmes and new ideas on youth development will be discussed,” said Cde Togarepi.

“Youths are a vulnerable demographic section of our national population considering that most of them do not own property or assets of value. These are the people we need to take care of. They are the vanguard of the revolutionary party.

“Young people must be capacitated to raise their standards of living,” he said.

The formation of constituency youth empowerment desks will therefore significantly reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.