‘Infrastructure Development Key to Transformation’

12 JUN, 2021 - 00:06 

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga (left) is assisted by a Beta Bricks employee to operate an excavator at the ground-breaking ceremony of the company’s US$10 million brick plant in Melfort yesterday. — Picture: Believe Nyakudjara.

Mukudzei Chingwere-Herald Reporter

Infrastructure development will play a leading role in delivering the Government’s vision of attaining an upper middle income society by the targeted year 2030, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Vice President Chiwenga made the remarks when he officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for a US$10 million BETA bricks moulding plant in Melfort yesterday.

On completion, the plant is expected to have a production capacity of 150 million bricks per annum.

Infrastructure development is one of the key anchors expected to drive Zimbabwe’s quest for Upper middle income economic status as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.

It is against this background that the Government is now targeting to ramp up production, build value addition hubs and support services involved in infrastructure development initiatives.  

VP Chiwenga said Zimbabweans could only start talking of a country on a development trajectory when they started seeing various infrastructure initiatives.

“Infrastructure development is one of the key pillars of vision 2030. The strategy is to provide a robust, enabling environment towards the attainment of the blueprint’s main objective of propelling Zimbabwe to becoming a prosperous and empowered upper middle income country by 2030,” he said.

“Vision 2030, as clearly enunciated by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, is an interlinked process that requires commitment and determination from Government and the private sector,” said VP Chiwenga.

VP Chiwenga implored the company to be a good corporate citizen and give back through various sustainable projects to the communities they operate in. “As part of being a good corporate citizen, we would like to see you contributing positively to preserve the environment.

“The company is encouraged to follow appropriate rehabilitation programmes and assist local communities in social investment initiatives,” said VP Chiwenga.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Sekai Nzenza said Zimbabwe and the continent offered unlimited opportunities in infrastructure development.  

“Infrastructure has an important bearing on long-term sustainable economic growth. What we are seeing here is a demonstration of the implementation of the National Development Strategy 1,” she said.

“His Excellency Dr ED Mnangagwa said the amount of a nation’s infrastructure has a sustainable bearing on the long-term economic growth.”