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Hopes for the revival of Zisco, now NewZim Steel, have once again been rekindled following the announcement by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa that he is meeting Essar Holdings executives between today and tomorrow to iron out any hurdles delaying the resuscitation of the giant steel plant.

Cde Mnangagwa announced at the weekend that he is meeting Essar Holdings executives together with key ministers involved in the billion dollar deal to resolve any hurdles that might be delaying the resumption of production. Vice President Mnangagwa said the Ministers of Industry and Commerce, Mining and Mining Development, Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development, Energy and Power Development and Environment, Water and Climate will attend this important indaba.

Cde Mnangagwa said government wanted to find out what was holding the resuscitation of Zisco when it has finalised the deal with the new investors, Essar Holdings. President Mugabe commissioned the $750 million NewZim Steel, a joint venture between government and Essar Holdings way back in 2011 but work to rehabilitate the steel plant is yet to start. Cde Mnangagwa said government wanted this time around to come up with collective strategies for the revival of Zisco hence the scheduled meeting with key ministers and Essar Holdings. “We want to do this in a space of a week and seal the deal once and for all. We want all ministers to recommit themselves to the agreement which was signed between government and Essar Holdings,” said Cde Mnangagwa.

The delay in resuming production at Zisco has not only affected the giant steel plant’s workers who have gone for years without salaries but has adversely affected the revival of the entire economy. Hopes for the economic turnaround were pinned on the revival of Zisco which used to provide materials to a number of downstream industries as well as provide business to big companies such as the National Railways of Zimbabwe which provided transport and Hwange Colliery Company Limited which provided the coal.

At one time 60 percent of the NRZ’s cash-flow came from Zisco while the bulk of coal produced by Hwange Colliery was consumed by the giant steel plant. Vice President Mnangagwa said government wanted to find out those dragging their feet and failing to honour their commitment to the Zisco revival project.

Government announced long back that the teething problems that had delayed the resuscitation of the revival of Zisco had been resolved and the big question is – who is putting spanners in the works this time around? Zisco, as rightly pointed out by Cde Mnangagwa, is a very strategic project for the revival of the economy and therefore all efforts and resources should be directed towards its revival.

The closure of Zisco in 2008 partly contributed to the demise of Bulawayo’s industries and its continued closure is therefore adversely affecting the economic turnaround. There is urgent need to address the plight of Zisco employees who have endured suffering for too long.

We want to implore Vice President Mnangagwa to see to it that this time around, the promised revival of Zisco is not another empty promise. The planned meeting should come up with programme of action with specific time- frames. The revival of Zisco has taken just too long and it’s time the project gets off the ground.