Zimpapers Logo

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter

ASCOT Race Course and Makokoba suburb in Bulawayo will be developed into smart cities to strike balance between commercial, industrial and residential areas, Minister of Local Government and Public Works July Moyo has said.

Minister Moyo said this on the sidelines of an Inter-Ministerial Cabinet Committee on State Occasions tour of proposed venues for the historic 2022 national Independence Day celebrations to be held in Bulawayo on April 18.

Government is working on embracing the smart city concept as a prerequisite for leaving no one behind, as part of President Mnangagwa’s thrust of improving people’s livelihoods.

A smart city is one that uses information communication technologies to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide better quality of Government service and citizen welfare.

“A local authority must have balance and there in the statute you have to have a ratio between commercial, industrial and residential areas.

So, when you are looking at a smart city, you have to say what is this relation you want to have.

When you are looking at the Ascot area, you already have commercial industries, that’s why you have the Holiday Inn and shops there.

What you need is some light industry that can be accessed by youth, women and war veterans in the area.

And some smart industrial areas that are ICT related; that is the concept of a smart city,” he said.

Minister Moyo added that the oldest suburb in Bulawayo, Makokoba, will be redeveloped to incorporate the smart city concept.

“We think we can do it even in places like Makokoba.

So, a smart city can be a new development, can be an urban renewal, but can also be a futuristic ICT driven local authority,” said Minister Moyo.

He said this was in line with Vision 2030 of not leaving anyone behind and achieving a middle to upper-income economy.

“If you think of how our cities were constructed, you have high density, low density and medium density, which separates people.

The concept of smart cities is to densify here and there and have some condominiums which are a little bit less densified and still have some densified areas,” said Minister Moyo.

“We are one of the few countries in Africa, which have allowed ourselves to report on SDGs 17.

We have been doing national voluntary reporting.

We have now cascaded it to local voluntary reporting and Bulawayo is going to do that, Harare is doing that, Victoria Falls championed that.

What it does when you are now looking at Vision 2030, you have to reposition your people so that they live in accommodation, in an environment that is smarter than what we have been building.”

In last month’s council report, an investment meeting was held with Joseph Reda of Wadi Degla Sport Clubs, which has been set up in Kenya and Egypt.

They showed interest in the Ascot Race Course and shared their profiles and were linked up with the city economic development officer for further engagement.

Council said part of the observations and recommendations were that Bulawayo must benefit from the fourth industrial revolution

“There was a need to create policy frameworks so as to tap into the benefits offered by the fourth industrial revolution. Africa and the rest of the world were benefiting from the fourth Industrial revolution and for Bulawayo’s growth and development there would be a need to maximise on its benefits.

“There was a need to assist the SMEs and set up policies that limited barriers for SME growth and development towards intra-African trade.

The city needed to explore opportunities for funding offered by the Afrexim Bank, particularly feasibility studies on what would constitute a Bulawayo economy of the future,” reads the report.

“The city should relook the SEZ in the context of developing dry ports and also bring the marginalised groups, especially the youth to the table.”

Council also resolved to utilise opportunities offered by the Zimbabwe Development Investment Authority in sharing opportunities for investment.

“They are developing a booklet of areas of investment in the country and offered the city space to share its projects.

The city economic development officer was requested to further engage and share the opportunities in Bulawayo,” reads the report.

It said council must take the lead in encouraging Bulawayo business organisations to participate in the 2023 Intra-African Trade Fair to be held in Cote d’Ivoire.

— Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi