Progress Reports On Priority Projects For The First 100-Day Cycle Of 2022

1. The Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Honourable Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, reported that the following progress had been recorded on projects under her purview:

• The Ministry is funding 31 women projects worth ZW$24.8 million through the Women Development Fund in the Mashonaland Central and Harare Metropolitan provinces, with 109 women directly benefiting and a further 400 people benefiting indirectly;
• 434 women were trained on the Establishment of Women Empowerment Clubs in the Matabeleland South, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East provinces. The training areas include leadership, business management, financial literacy, value addition and family health;
• The setting up of the One-Stop Centre for Victims of Gender-Based Violence is 65% complete, with the casting of the concrete slab for the building which houses the Centre now complete, as well as the establishment of the relevant services at the Hospital, namely: counselling, Police Victim Friendly Unit, and medical, legal and administrative services;
• All the targeted 100 beneficiaries have been trained under the Transformation of Community Groups from Informal Livelihood Projects into Formal Enterprises in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces. The programme is now being cascaded to other groups while at the same time the trained groups are supported to certify their products with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe; and
• A total of 241 small to medium-scale entrepreneurs from Zvishavane (51), Gokwe South (53), Makoni (82) and Chimanimani (52) were trained in entrepreneurship and business management skills.

2. The Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Honourable Dr Kirsty Coventry, reported that the progress recorded for projects under her purview is as follows:

• Under the Empower Bank and Mhuri Tobacco Youth Business Starter Pack Project, 164 youths were supported in tobacco production on 110 hectares of land in Hurungwe District, Mashonaland West Province, and the young farmers have delivered their produce to the auction floors;
• Under the Youth Drug and Substance Abuse Awareness Project, campaigns were held in 6 out of the country’s 10 provinces;
• Under the Skills Outreach Programme, a total of 2 215 youths were trained, surpassing the targeted 2 000;
• Regarding the Women and Girls Sports Festivals, a total of 16 708 women and girls participated in festivals which have so far been conducted in 73 districts, while 1 825 Women and Girls Clubs have been established in most of the country’s wards; and
• On the Kanyemba Arts and Culture Centre Project, all the preparatory work for implementation of the project has been completed, including regularisation with the Local Authority.

3. The Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Honourable Daniel Garwe, outlined the progress made in the implementation of projects under his Ministry as follows:

• The brickwork for 3 of the 4 blocks of flats at the Dzivarasekwa Flats being constructed for households affected by flash floods is now complete, with the funding coming from Government. Provision of services for the additional 14 blocks of flats to be constructed in partnership with the private sector is underway. Overall, the project is 56% complete;
• For the Binga Floods Victims Core-Houses in Nsungwale, being constructed by the Department of Public Works, 3 houses have been roofed, while the remaining 14 are at roof level, that is, the brick superstructure is complete, leaving the overall project completion level at 85%;
• The Empumalanga Project in Hwange, which targets the provision of offsite and onsite infrastructure for 2 000 high density stands is at advanced levels of completion, with the construction of water and sewer reticulation at 80% completion, and construction of roads and stormwater drains standing at 66%;
• In Gweru, the Senga Messengers’ Camp Housing Project, targeting the construction of 11 blocks of flats, is progressing well, with construction having started on 1 February 2022 and the slab for 4 blocks having been completed;
• For the Kasese Housing Project in Kariba, where houses are being built for families whose houses were built under electricity pylons, the Environmental Impact Assessment was done, paving way for the resumption of the projects;
• The Marondera Housing Project, under which 4 blocks of flats are being constructed for civil servants, is on course for completion in August 2022 as scheduled;
• The Contractor for the Crownlands Start-Paying-For-Your-House Scheme for civil servants in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province is now back on site following Government intervention in the matter. The project involves the provision of offsite and onsite infrastructure for 999 medium-density residential stands. The stand sizes range from 300 square metres to 1 000 square metres.
• REPORT ON THE MINING INDABA HELD IN CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 9 TO 13 MAY 2022

The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Wiston Chitando, briefed Cabinet on the Mining Indaba which he attended in Cape Town, South Africa, from 9 to 13 May 2022.

The Conference was attended by more than 6 000 delegates, and lots of state-of-the-art equipment was on display. The Conference also afforded the Zimbabwean delegation the chance to engage investors and other mining stakeholders. The Zimbabwe Pavillion attracted a lot of investors and other visitors, whose engagements were made more productive by the presence of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

The Minister held meetings with some of his regional counterparts as well as the potential investors. These included the current President of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), who is also the Tanzanian Minister of Mines.

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