By Derick Tsimba
Following Government’s declaration of Tugwi Mukosi Dam as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) recently, today the Inter Ministerial Committee has toured the various projects being undertaken at the dam.
On its twitter handle, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has revealed that various projects toured include the new all weather access road, the mini-hydro site, the harbour and fisheries.
“Tugwi Mukosi has been declared as a SEZ and stakeholder consultations are currently underway to identify an economic operator who will formally initiate the process of applying for a SEZ licence. Projects toured include the new all weather access road, dam and mini-hydro site, the harbour and fisheries,” the Ministry has revealed.
Projects at the site such as fisheries, hydropower station, ethanol production, fruit juice production are expected to promote economic development through stimulating economic activities at the SEZ.
“Two hundred and twenty thousand fish fingerlings of Nile Tilapia have been introduced into the dam as part of the bigger fishing project which intends to introduce more than a million fingerlings into the dam.
“The fisheries project will start with 10 cooperatives targeting youth’s, women, locals and commercial joint ventures. Aquaculture cage culturing projects have been introduced. One cage culturing project is already operational and three permits have already been issued,” said the Ministry of Information.
The Ministry also said Government was prioritizing boosting power production in Zimbabwe at Tugwi Mukosi SEZ by generating 15MW at the dam.
“To boost power production in Zimbabwe, Tugwi Mukosi is expected to generate 15MW. Tugwi Mukosi Hydropower Pvt Ltd which is implementing the mini hydro project has already been granted a licence to develop a 15MW power plant and is currently completing a consolidated feasibility study,” the Ministry of Information has said.
Harare Post has been advised that there are areas targeted by Government under the SEZ for value addition which are processing of sugar cane into ethanol, sugar and molasses; processing citrus fruit such as oranges and mangoes into fruit juice and also processing of oil seeds such as soya beans, sunflower and cotton into cooking oil, soap and stock feeds.
