By Sharon Tawuya
Harare, (New Ziana) The Zimbabwe government has intensified infrastructure development in the Harare Metropolitan Province as it implements projects ranging from workspaces for small and medium scale enterprises to waste recycling plants and interchanges, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Prof Paul Mavima, said this during a joint Ministerial project monitoring tour on Wednesday.
“The purpose of the tour is to review the projects that are running in Harare Metropolitan Province. You know the Second Republic is on steroids as far as development of basic infrastructure and social amenities are concerned,” he said.
Prof Mavima was accompanied by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Charles Tawengwa, the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Omphile Marupi, as well as senior officials from the Harare City Council.
The team first toured the Chemhanza Home Industry Construction Project, being built to decongest the fire-prone Glen View Area 8 Complex.
Prof Mavima said the new facility, will house 3 500 entrepreneurs, more than double the 1 500 registered at Glen View 8, will provide safe, workspaces with fire guards as well as adequate ablution and Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) facilities.
Speaking at the same site, Tawengwa said the project was behind schedule as it should have been 85 percent complete.
“We are behind schedule, should have been completed or be at 85 percent but due to lack of funding we are running late. Government will find other ways to fund this program,” said Tawengwa.
At the Glen View 8 Integrated Resource Recovery Centre, United Nations Habitat Zimbabwe programme manager and head of office Dr Alex Cheleshe said in partnership with civil society organisations, 100 000 women and youths will benefit from waste recycling training, waste management and information communication technologies (ICT) skills.
In Mbare, the delegation toured the new Mbare Market, built two and a half years ago under a Public-Private-Partnership.
Prof Mavima said while the market is a major improvement, uptake remains low and called on the City Council, the government and the private partner to resolve outstanding issues, adding the government also plans to modernise the old Market.
The tour proceeded to the dormitory town of Epworth, covering the Epworth Integrated Resource Recovery Centre and the Epworth People’s Markets.
The recovery centre is benefiting over 20 000 women through sorting, compacting and marketing of plastic, paper and metals.
The People’s Markets comprise a 6 000-bird poultry project benefiting 35 women, a green building constructed using local skills, and a women’s market supported by UN Women, with a play centre and nursery for mothers.
Lastly the team toured the Mabvuku Interchange, along the Harare-Mutare Highway, which is being constructed by Premier Rocks (Private) Limited as part of the Greater Harare Interchanges Programme.
Projects manager for Premier Rocks, Bright Mashonganyika, said despite delays, remarkable progress has been made was expected to reach the set target in the next few months.
The interchange will separate highway and local traffic, eliminate a major accident blackspot, and link eastern suburbs to the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport via Delport Road, creating a bypass for the Harare Central Bbusiness District with the second phase expected to make it almost as big as Trabablas Interchange.
New Ziana
