Mrs. Joyce Mujuru, Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. She represented Zimbabwe at a United Nations Summit, the G-192, in New York earlier this year.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Herald Reporter
The emancipation of African women in all facets of society is key to
the continent’s development, Vice President Joice Mujuru has said.
VP Mujuru said this while addressing delegates at a conference on
women’s emancipation in Abuja, Nigeria last week. "Emancipating the
African woman politically, socially and economically is a revolution
that has to be fought and won. It is an intimate part of the larger
context of the gender, democracy and human rights issues which are all core to the development of any nation or region," she said.
VP Mujuru said people could not talk of sustainable development
without addressing women’s issues in the context of poverty.
"It is the duty of every Government to promote and protect the rights
of women, as well as to ensure the attainment of gender equality. A
key component in this regard is the enactment, ratification and
enforcement of various protocols on women’s rights both at regional
and continental levels," VP Mujuru said.
She said both men and women fought side-by-side for independence hence there was no need for discrimination today. VP Mujuru called for
African solidarity against external forces bent on indiscriminately
exploiting the continent’s resources. "It is sad how we all stand by
and watch when a fellow African State is unfairly treated and yet, at
times, privately express solidarity with the same states.
"Why cannot Africa speak with the courage of conviction? Are women’s
rights possible in circumstances of debilitating sanctions?" she asked
in reference to the illegal Western embargo on Zimbabwe.
The VP outlined Zimbabwe’s efforts to empower women.
"It is encouraging to note that at Government and political party
level, gender mainstreaming has been embraced in Zimbabwe and is
beginning to bear positive results, albeit at a slow pace.
"In Zimbabwe, females constitute 20 percent of Cabinet, 14 percent of
the members of the House of Assembly and 33 percent of the Upper
House, 29 percent of judges on the bench.
"At 36 percent representation, my party, Zanu-PF’s Politburo, has done
somewhat better than Government, but there is scope for improvement," VP Mujuru said.
Mujuru commissions US$4m Delta plant
Business Reporter
VICE President Joice Mujuru yesterday challenged manufacturing companies to follow Delta Beverages’ lead in rebuilding the manufacturing sector.
She was speaking after commissioning the US$4 million PET plant in Graniteside that Delta bought from renowned German manufacturer of bottling machines, KHS.
"I think you will agree with me that Delta is leading by example in turning around the economy and for that I would like to congratulate the shareholders, board and management of Delta for leading the way for the manufacturing sector in the country," she said.
A decade of macro-economic instability decimated the country’s manufacturing base, leading to importation of products that could be made locally.
Capacity utilisation in the country’s manufacturing sector had fallen to as low as 10 percent in 2008 before gradually recovering to about 32 percent last year following a cocktail of remedial measures by the Government.
Following the commissioning of the new polyethylene terephthatlate packing (PET) line plant, Delta said it would register a 25 percent increase in capacity utilisation in its sparkling soft drinks manufacturing division.
The total investment for the plant rose to US$5,2 million as another US$1,2 million was invested into Delta’s subsidiary Megapak to give it capacity to manufacture the PET bottles for the new plant.
The plant restores Delta’s obsolete PET plant scrapped in 2007, which had become inefficient and a cost burden to the leading beverage manufacturer.
While the new plant would enhance efficiencies and raise production capacity in soft drinks manufacturing, the PET packing line would help the firm cut on costs of importing and enables production of a variety of soft drinks and pack sizes.
Delta Beverages chief executive Mr Joe Mtizwa said the new plant would fill the gap that was in the market in terms of the range of products they supply apart from returnable glass bottles and canned drinks.
"I think it will fill the gap that was there in the market in terms of the range of products that we offer to the market.
"We had returnable glass bottles and did not have the PET. The PET is a growing segment in the market," he said.
The company had been relying on PET imports from Botswana and South Africa and the latest development would help Delta Beverages fend off the ever-growing competition from imported soft drinks such as Pepsi.
Delta Beverages said overall capacity utilisation in the soft drinks manufacturing division had now risen to an average 79 percent and expectations were that it would rise further in the warmer summer season.
Mr Mtizwa could not disclose much on the impact of the new plant on the bottom line, save to say the group expected significant returns on the investment.
The plant has a capacity to pack soft drinks in 500-millilitre to 2-litre bottles.
Delta chairman Dr Robbie Mupawose said the PET package was popular with beverage vendors in the informal sector and the company was busy re-establishing its vendor network, which thrives on this package.
"The company continues to take these bold steps to recapitalise the business and, therefore, take a lead in the recovery of the Zimbabwe economy.
"Demand for soft drinks continues to grow despite ongoing challenges with utilities.
"This investment provides our customers with the convenience of non-returnable packing," Dr Mupawose said yesterday.
Delta would also commission a new US$14 million lager beer packing line at its Belmont plant in Bulawayo in October this year.
The plant was acquired from Krones AG of Germany. The old plant was scrapped three months back.
Last year Delta commissioned a new lager beer packing line at its Southerton plant in Harare.
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