By Patience Gondo
THE Special advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Joramu Gumbo has highlighted the need for infrastructure development to support the Palm River Metallurgical Energy Industrial Park project in Beitbridge.
Gumbo, who is in Beitbridge to monitor projects of economic interest toured the mine and was accompanied by several Government officials.
He specifically pointed at the dust road leading to the industrial site some 10 kilometres West of Beitbridge along the road to Swereki.
“The dusty road leading to this mine needs maintenance and the bridge on the road to Tuli Coal Mine destroyed by storms requires rebuilding,” he said.
The Palm River Metallurgical Energy Industrial Park extracts its coal from the Tuli Mine and Gumbo said the investor had an obligation to improve such infrastructure.
Residents of Beitbridge have in the past expressed concerns about the mode of transport for workers and the amount of dust raised by traffic to the mine which is a health hazard.
While it was not mentioned at the meeting, a senior civil servant told Ziyah News Network that of concern was the reduced hectorage of the once thriving River Ranch Irrigation Scheme incapacitated due to lack of fund.
The Palm River Metallurgical Energy Industrial Park could invest in the farmers at River Ranch Irrigation Scheme as part of its social responsibility.
The Palm River Metallurgical Energy Industrial Park, a Chinese company partnering Government in Beitbridge has established a power plant and could easily be one of the first beneficiaries of Government decision to remove the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) monopoly.
This week Cabinet sitting in Harare agreed to allow private players into the electricity generation and retailing market.
The deputy CEO of Xintai Resources Bai Xidong told Gumbo and his delegation the Park with a US$3 billion investment projected upon completion plans to extend beyond mining.
With a target to employ up to 10 000 people, with about 800 already hired locally, the company would also go for other off site projects including building houses.
“We will build houses, clinics , markets and other community infrastructure for the workers and surrounding areas,” said Xidong.
He said their project supports the President E.D Mnangagwa ‘s 2030 vision , aiming for economic growth, job creation and industrial development to achieve upper-middle-income economy status.
The company, he said, is also sending some Zimbabweans to China for training, promoting local expertise and sustainable growth .