Traditional ceremony for Lupane gas project Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
TRADITIONAL music, ululation and dance characterised a ground breaking ceremony held in Mashokotsha area, Lupane to mark the start of a big methane gas project in Matabeleland North.

The Lupane methane gas project in Kusile Rural District’s Siwale Ward 1, has remained in the pipeline for years with no serious investor committing to the project.

With capacity to start with generation of 5MW in the first two years and expanding to 15MW later, the project has potential to catapult the Matabeleland North provincial capital to growth as well as spur development in the whole province.

Zimbabwe has an estimated 40 trillion cubic feet of potentially recoverable gas in the Lupane-Lubimbi area and could be probably the largest deposits in Southern Africa.

A number of companies have been given grants by Government before.

Some of them are Tumagole of South Africa, Sakunda Holdings and Shangani Energy Exploration which is owned by Chinese steel giant Sinosteel.

The long-awaited project could be finally taking off after an investor, Lubimbi Power and Gas moved on site to meet local leadership, culminating into the traditional ceremony.

The company, believed to be in partnership with Discovery which is a holder of a special grant in the area, is reportedly almost done with the process of Environmental Impact Assessment which is said to be over 90 percent complete.

Chief Mabhikwa of Lupane said the traditional ceremony held earlier in the week was in line with traditional customs of consulting ancestors and seeking guidance from them ahead of start of the project.

Public consultations are yet to be done.

“This was just a traditional groundbreaking ceremony in line with our cultural practice of consulting ancestors on our activities. This is a huge project and we want it to have the blessing of ancestors and elders. Many people including elders in the community attended and there was dance and singing as the elders consulted ancestors.

“This is nothing unusual and the investors are free to go ahead once they feel they are ready,” said Chief Mabhikwa.

He paid gratitude to President Mnangagwa for spearheading developmental projects in the area and province at large.

“We want to thank the Second Republic for seeing through this project which will not only help stir the country to growth but our local community will also directly and indirectly benefit through jobs creation and power generation.

“This will surely make the province marketable to investors and turnaround livelihoods,” said Chief Mabhikwa.

One of Lubimbi Power and Gas executives Mr Regis Mtetwa who declined to comment, had promised to return calls with a comment through the company’s communications’ office and his number was ringing without being picked later on.

The Chronicle could not get details about the investment package but understand that the process is at a non-disclosure stage according to a close source.

However, the traditional ceremony was attended by scores of villagers from Siwale ward and some officials from the province who are excited that the wheels of development seem to be finally turning under the  Second Republic through Devolution of Power being implemented by by President Mnangagwa.

The richly resourced Matabeleland North has eyed the gas project as one of the natural resources that can drive industrialisation of the province.

Zimbabwe targets to propel the mining sector to US$12 billion by 2023 and with a basket of mineral deposits and natural resources at the centre of the vision.

Once implemented, the project will add to other electricity generation projects underway in the province such as Hwange Unit 7 and 8 expansion which is underway and Solgas power plant which is awaiting commissioning to start generating 5MW in Mabale.

There is also Batoka Hydro-Electric Power Scheme to be implemented on the Zambezi River gorges and is at post-consultation stage.

Mines and Mining Development. Minister Winston Chitando was not reachable for comment.

Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo said the project is long overdue as he thanked the Second Republic for ensuring that Lupane develops.

“We are waiting for an update from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development but we have been waiting for this project for a long time.

“We are very happy as a province that this is finally happening and we thank President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic for making this happen,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the province will benefit from clean fuel and electricity, employment opportunities which “will change the face of the province.”

Minister Moyo said a majority of Government projects in the province and Lupane in particular were taking shape.
He said the provincial hospital’s construction in Lupane is progressing well while work on Elitsheni Government Complex is almost complete with final touches being done on putting up an electricity sub-station before Government workers can relocate from Bulawayo to the new complex.

Lupane State University has relocated most of its offices and departments to Lupane while the irrigation Bubi-Lupane Irrigation scheme is already functional.
There is also construction of Lake Gwayi-Shangani and several other projects including health facilities being spearheaded through Devolution Funds while many roads are being fixed through the Emergency Road Rehabilitation Funds (ERRP2). Minister Moyo said all these projects will transform the province. — @ncubeleon

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