By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
VICE President Kembo Mohadi has called for increased support towards the construction of the proposed Beitbridge Showgrounds.
Mohadi said this in a speech read on his behalf by Matabeleland South Minister of State For Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluve during the 2026 Beitbridge Corporate and People’s Choice Awards held on Saturday at Ronnies Sports Arena.
The annual red-carpet event, hosted by the Beitbridge Business Expo in conjunction with the Municipality of Beitbridge, not only celebrated outstanding business performances for 2025, it was also a fundraiser for the construction of permanent showgrounds.
The showgrounds aim to transform Beitbridge into a tourism and business hub.
Mohadi, who was the guest of honour, challenged stakeholders, businesspeople and development partners to support the ambitious infrastructure project.
The proposed Beitbridge Showgrounds, situated along Bulawayo Road, cover 26 hectares of land, with the Municipality of Beitbridge partnering the Beitbridge Business Expo on 13 hectares earmarked for development.
Mohadi said the rapidly growing town required infrastructure that matched its economic ambitions.
“Our town is growing at an unprecedented pace. To sustain this momentum, we need infrastructure that matches our ambition. We need a permanent home for trade, a space where local innovations can be showcased, and a venue where regional investors can meet our homegrown talent,” he said.
He said the fundraising efforts surrounding the awards represented a collective vision for the future of Beitbridge.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is about an even bigger picture. True corporate leadership looks beyond its own front doors and asks, ‘What can we build together for posterity?’” he said.
“As Dr. (Annah) Muleya and the Expo committee have shared, every ticket bought, every partnership forged, and every resource mobilised tonight serves a monumental collective purpose. We are fundraising to construct the official Beitbridge Showgrounds,” he said.
He applauded organisers and partners for championing an initiative aligned with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy.
“It is in this national context that I find your efforts, as Beitbridge Business Expo, to champion these awards as quite relevant and contributing greatly to the development of our nation and to Vision 2030,” he said.
He also dismissed long-held perceptions of Beitbridge as merely a transit town.
“For too long, outsiders have viewed Beitbridge simply as a transit point; a place people pass through on their way to South Africa. But anyone who lives, works, and invests here knows the truth: Beitbridge is a destination of choice, a rapidly growing economic hub, and a powerhouse of local enterprise,” he said.
The awards ceremony recognised businesses for their performances in 2025 across various sectors, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), education, health, tourism, entertainment and other industries.
Speaking during the event, Beitbridge Business Expo Chairperson Muleya said organisers had introduced measures to strengthen the credibility and transparency of the awards process.
“In our continuing pursuit of excellence, we undertook deliberate measures to strengthen the credibility, integrity, and stature of this year’s awards process. We refined the voting platform, expanded the categories of recognition, and subjected our procedures to a rigorous audit,” she said.
Muleya also praised the adjudicators for ensuring professionalism and fairness in selecting winners.
The event concluded with business leaders and stakeholders pledging resources towards the showgrounds project, with Hon. Nguluvhe committing 10,000 bricks towards the construction initiative.