Mutasa North charts way forward . . . Value addition one of the priority projects
STAKEHOLDERS in Mutasa North are crafting a development roadmap outlining the constituency’s growth trajectory for the next five years in line with Government’s vision for a middle income economy by 2030.
Speaking at a strategy meeting held in Honde Valley at the weekend, Mutasa North Member of Parliament Cde Chido Madiwa said the document would help come up with priority projects and programmes that would benefit everyone in the constituency.
“As the MP, I thought it was prudent for me to come up with a roadmap for the constituency in terms of what we are supposed to be looking at in the next five years. We cannot just do things from nowhere, but we need a strategy to guide us.
“We brought together everyone who has anything to do with this constituency from the private sector, civil society, Government departments and the community itself, to see how best we can develop our constituency,” she said.
“Remember in the new dispensation we are talking of devolution, so we are saying as a constituency, how are we going to contribute to the economy looking at what we have. We will sit down and note where our strength lies and come up with priority projects and programmes for our constituency that will be implemented by everyone.”
Cde Madiwa said the development of the constituency was not a one-man job hence the consultations, which ensured they included everyone in coming up with the document.
Outlining the objectives of the strategy document, Mutasa-Nyanga Senator Mike Nyambuya said it would ensure that Mutasa North fitted in with the national vision.
Bananas
“It is our vision and belief that this constituency can fit into the national vision by making use of available resources. We have products such as bananas, pineapples, peaches and sugar cane among many others.
“The idea is that we want to engage in value addition and beneficiation. In the process we are creating jobs and making sure that people of this constituency realise more returns rather than selling their goods in raw form,” he said.
He said the constituency was looking at setting up value addition centres in areas such as Hauna, Zindi and Mandeya.
“In that regard we will realise a higher GDP for the people in the constituency and contribute to the GDP of the country. We have hired a consultant who is going to produce the document after this meeting, which we will use as our roadmap to guide us in the next five years,” Senator Nyambuya said.
He said after coming up with the document, the next stage would be to find development partners adding that the constituency was already working with ZimTrade to identify markets in the European Union.
“We also have partners who have come forward and are willing to help in resourcing the farmers and partnering us to set up the value addition chain,” he added.