Zimpapers Logo

Bulawayo ruled the country this week, President Mnangagwa spending three days working in the city.

He arrived in Bulawayo on Thursday and yesterday commissioned two health care centres — United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) Covid-19 isolation and treatment centre and UBH Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital. He also toured the Treger Group, a leading manufacturer of hardware and kitchen ware not only in the country but also in Sadc. Later the President commissioned a new houseware factory at Treger.

Today, he is expected to tour two factories — United Refineries Limited (URL) a cooking oil and soap maker and top clothing manufacturer Archer.

The Government wholly financed the renovation and equipping of the UBH Covid-19 management centre since last year as part of the country’s efforts to be ready to handle patients infected with the coronavirus.

The children’s hospital is the first in the country specialising in the treatment of some physical disabilities in people aged 18 years and below. Built on the same grounds as UBH, the hospital offers its critical services free of charge.

Through its many divisions among them Kango and Monarch, the 110 year-old Treger Group makes just about anything. It is regarded as the country largest manufacturer of window and door frames, wheelbarrows, geysers, kitchen furniture, painted and galvanised hardware for the building and related industries.

Kango makes a wide range of kitchen utensils and furniture which are in every home, basically. Every metallic plate, cup or pot is commonly referred to in the country as Kango, never mind that some such utensils are made in China and elsewhere. This shows how deeply ingrained Kango is in the minds of Zimbabweans. Every suitcase is commonly known as a Monarch, never mind that some are made by other companies.

URL, also a long-established company, ranks highly among the country’s key names in manufacturing. There is a URL soap and cooking oil in every home countrywide. The company also manufactures beauty products. Its cooking oil and mayonnaise come under a well-known brand, Roil.

The President’s commissioning of the two health facilities and factory in the city further asserts the progress that the economy is making after years of decline. As indicated earlier, the Covid-19 centre was renovated using local funds and skills and is now playing a big role in the fight against the infection.

Also, the Government contributed to the building of the children’s hospital with some of the resources being contributed by donors.
It gives free treatment to kids who have conditions like neglected club-foot, bowed legs and cleft lips. Many of us grew up thinking that anyone with club-foot, bowed legs and cleft lips was disabled for life.

However, the hospital is geared to giving children new lives, straightening up what many thought could not be straightened.

As an indication of the progress that the country has been making since late 2017, the President had, from the fifth of this month to yesterday commissioned five new projects.

On the fifth he commissioned the first phase of the upgraded 6,5km Makuti-Chirundu Road in Mashonaland West. Japan financed the project through a US$21 million grant.

On Thursday, he commissioned Machekeranwa Dam in Mashonaland East. The Government funded the project which was mooted many years ago, but started making noticeable progress under the Second Republic. With a capacity of 75 million cubic metres of water, the dam has the potential to irrigate 2 250 hectares.

That was followed by the two hospitals at UBH and the new factory at Treger in Bulawayo yesterday.

“He will commission,” tweeted Mr Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services yesterday in reference to the President, “he will break ground, he will launch, he will unveil he will roll out and he will tour because he is this country’s utility player, its best foot forward and its main striker Zimbabwe is rising.”