Bulawayo City Council greenlights re-allocation of Labenmon Cement Mine
Mbekezeli Ncube
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has approved the re-allocation of the Chinese-owned Labenmon Cement Mine to the Umvumila industrial area.
The mine will occupy stands 15,895 and 15,896, spanning 5.6145 hectares and it is said that the initiative will create 500 jobs.
Initially proposed for Cowdray Park suburb, the project shifted to Umvumila, an area near the United College of Education. Labenmon Investment, a subsidiary of West International Holding Limited, submitted the application.The company plans to export products to Botswana, Zambia, and Malawi.
Apart from creating 500 jobs, the establishment of this cement mixing plant is expected to benefit Bulawayo through increased supply of cement, increased export earnings for the province, enhanced technology and equipment level of the domestic cement industry in Zimbabwe.
The locals will also benefit from the rapid development of the local economy in terms of production, sales, tansportation and local tax revenue as well as driving the economic recovery of the city.
Ward 26 (Emganwini) councillor Mpumelelo Moyo who also doubles as the council’s Finance and Development Committee chairperson confirmed the approval, emphasizing Umvumila’s attractiveness as a special economic zone.
“As the chairperson, I’m so happy that we are bringing investment in Bulawayo because that is our main goal and we are encounraging more people to come and invest in our beautiful city,” said Moyo.
Moyo was instrumental in the approval of this game charger development and said the City is inviting more investors to Umvumila Industrial Park which is a special economic zone with 188 hectares of virgin land.
“Umvumila has 188 hectors of land available for investors so it’s a special economic zone, they can come from all walks of life and land will be granted to them” said Moyo.
Bulawayo Mayor, David Coltart was not available for comment, however his deputy, Edwin Ndlovu confirmed the development saying that the city fathers are happy to bring investment to the city, also assuring the public that Labenmon will use environmental friendly equipment which does not expose the public to health hazards.
“We granted the company the right to manufacture cement at Umvumila and it is good investment for the city and 500 people shall be employed. The company is using modern equipment which does not emit dust or smoke which is good for the residents and the environment. The company uses smart technology. We are happy as a city to attract that kind of investment,” said Ndlovu.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) Programs Manager, Claude Phuti said the association is “still investigating the matter and consulting residents so that we come up with a well informed response,” he said.
A Bulawayo resident, Wakheni Moyo said it is a great move by the local authority as this has created employment.
“I’m thrilled by this move by the city council. A huge number of youth will be kept busy away from unsocial beviour as they will be busy at work. I wish many such moves will be made by the council, you will see even drug abuse cases will drop,” said Moyo.
