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Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu on Thursday commissioned a $255 million ZimCoke plant in Redcliff town. The plant is set to revive the coke and coking coal industry and create thousands of jobs for people in the Midlands province and beyond. 

The investment is set to create about 1 000 direct jobs and many more from downstream industries.  ZimCoke took over coke ovens within the defunct Ziscosteel plant in a $133 million deal viewed as the first step towards the revival of the giant steel plant. 

Addressing company officials and guests at the commissioning, Minister Ndlovu said the commissioning of ZimCoke opened a new era of heavy industrial development in the Midlands province and the country at large. He said the project was the first huge step towards the much awaited re-opening of Ziscosteel. 

Minister Ndlovu said ZimCoke will revive the coke and coking coal industry in the region as it will be one of the largest producers of metallurgical coke. “ZimCoke will start by supplying the South African market which at the moment faces problems with supplies from China and other sources. The world market for coke and coking coal is firm and expanding while many of the established sources of both are reaching the end of their functional life,” said Minister Ndlovu. 

He said Zimbabwe should therefore take advantage of this opportunity to earn foreign currency. Minister Ndlovu said the regional demand for coke is estimated at four million tonnes per annum and direct imports amount to a third of this demand and could be replaced by coke produced in Zimbabwe. 

The month of May alone has witnessed the commissioning of three major industrial projects in the Midlands province. 

On May 16, President Mnangagwa commissioned a $62 million Unki Mines smelting plant in Shurugwi that is set to accelerate local beneficiation and value addition of platinum group of metals. 

President Mnangagwa on May 27 was again in the Midlands province commissioning the $10 million Sino Zimbabwe  Cement Company’s brick manufacturing plant on the outsskirts of Gweru and the month ended with the commissioning of the $255 million ZimCoke plant by Minister Ndlovu. 

The Midlands is therefore threatening to replace Bulawayo as the country’s industrial hub. It is hoped that Government and the Chinese investor R and F will soon finalise the $1 billion deal to revive Ziscosteel. 

The defunct steel giant used to anchor economic activities in the Midlands province and beyond as it had many downstream industries. The revival of Zisco will breathe new life to Redcliff town and the nearby Kwekwe. 

The revival of industries and establishment of new ones is what the country has been yearning for. These are long term benefits whose impact might not be felt immediately hence the need for Zimbabweans to be patient.