Mwenezi District has potential: SA investor

Mr Lourensma Botha, his personal assistant Ms Sithembinkosi Ncube, Masvingo Minister of State Cde Ezra Chadzamira, Mwenezi RDC Chief executive Mr Albert Chivanga during tour of Manyuchi Dam

MWENEZI District has potential to attract foreign direct investment through ranching, tourism, wildlife, fisheries and power generation, a visiting South African investor has said.

Speaking during a tour of Manyuchi Dam that borders Mberengwa East and Mwenezi West on Saturday, Mr Lourensma Botha, said he had been enchanted by investment opportunities that abound in Mwenezi District and was ready to put his money into cattle ranching, power generation and tourism.

Mr Botha, who was accompanied by Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Ezra Chadzamira, said he was on a familiarisation tour on potential areas of outlay in the district.

He said the 319 million cubic metres Manyuchi Dam presented an opportunity for tourism, power generation, irrigation and fisheries. Mr Botha said progressive engagements with the responsible authorities in the province were going to start soon.

He said he had a biased interest in cattle ranching and wildlife breeding with existing projects in Matabeleland South that he and his partners were already pursuing.

“I have an appreciation for the potential that this dam can have. I will sit down with my team back in South Africa and see how we can bring in money into Zimbabwe for investment. The money is there but it is too early to mention figures,” said Mr Botha.

“I am already doing cattle ranching and would want to look into that opportunity if I can get enough land around this dam. We want idle land where villagers will not be moved,” he said.

The potential investor assured the provincial leadership that once certain modalities were complete, it would not take long before there was meaningful activity on the ground.

“We cannot pre-empt what we are going to do. We have a consortium which is eager to put its money in Zimbabwe and the earlier important modalities are finalised by government and Mwenezi RDC the better. We want to know the size of the land that we will work on and there is a potential of power generation at the dam.”

Zimbabwe National Water Authority Catchment Manager Mr Stanley Nazombe said there was a lot of potential at Manyuchi Dam.

“The dam has a capacity of 319 million cubic meters and that has a potential of irrigating about 10 000 hectares of land. At the moment the water in the dam is underutilised and we would be happy if we can have investors who can use the water.

“As Government we only control 30 percent of the water but there is no activity at the moment while Tongaat Hullet Pvt Limited which has rights to 70 percent only uses 33 percent to irrigate its Mwenezana Sugarcane Estate,” said Mr Nazombe.

Chadzamira appreciated Mr Botha’s move saying the province was open for business and assured that, “investors’ money would be safe.”

“Our President Mnangagwa seeks to create wealth for communities and we look at resources which can help local people lead normal lives, in sync with the concept of devolution.

“The new dispensation is targeting a middle income level by 2030 and through resources like Manyuchi Dam that is achievable,” he said.

“The country is open for business and our province is serious about attracting investment”.

Mwenezi West Member of the National Assembly Priscilla Moyo hailed Mr Botha for showing interest in investing in her constituency but underscored the need for investors to give time frames within which they expected their initiatives to take place.

“We are happy to have people like you who are eager to work with our communities in improving their welfare.

“We appeal to you to give us the exact times, you are prepared to come and exploit opportunities that you have identified, as you have assured us you will come back soon. I implore our local leadership to sort out the necessary papers on time,” said Moyo.