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Midlands Bureau Chief
MIDLANDS Province attracted investments worth more than US$1 billion in 2022 and topping the list is Dinson Iron and Steel Plant (Disco) in Manhize, Mvuma.

Disco has so far invested about US$500 million into the US$1,5 billion steel plant and production is expected to start in August.

Construction of the steel plant, which is touted as Africa’s biggest integrated steel works, began last year.

The steel plant is set to employ more than 1 000 workers once production starts.

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Larry Mavima told the Chronicle in a recent interview that the Second Republic had opened up many opportunities for investments.

“We are very happy that as a province we managed to attract companies that are investing in such big projects like the steel plant in Mvuma. There are many people already working at the plant,” he said.

Minister Mavima said there are many investment opportunities in the province and urged investors to take advantage of the province’s abundant natural resources including minerals.

Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said there are huge spin-offs to be realised from the plant.

“We are talking of huge spin-offs to be accrued from this plant. We are talking about big businesses as vehicle-producing companies will want to do business here. Think of all the big names you can dream of and we are in motion,” he said.

The Midlands Province also witnessed the official opening of the Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) Centre of Excellence which  is a major milestone set to improve health services.

Following this positive development, GPH is going to have a separate Opportunistic Infections (OI) centre for effective HIV treatment and care.

The completion of the US$200 000 facility follows yet another milestone by the hospital after the opening of a multi-million-dollar modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in August 2020.

GPH superintendent Dr Fabian Mashingaidze said the one-stop centre is set to improve the health care delivery system.

“We have been waiting for this milestone development as an institution. This development means we are going to decongest the outpatient department. We are also going to have doctor-patient confidentiality as people with opportunistic infections are going to have their privacy especially when they come to collect their medication which is done on a regular basis,” he said.

On the business front, several companies operating in the province expanded their operations as they sought to increase output.

Bata Shoe Company Zimbabwe invested more than US$5 million towards its manufacturing plant and machinery.
In Kwekwe, an explosives-producing firm, Intrachem commissioned the second phase of its project which has seen the firm producing detonators.

The company invested heavily in establishing the plant which has an import substitution of US$20 million.

In terms of the Government’s devolution projects, several clinics and schools were built including the Sherwood clinic which was renovated by the Zimbabwe National Army.