Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai today urged former employees of ZISCO, most of whom are now gold panners (makorokoza), to vote for his party in next year’s elections so that his government can revive the steel giant.
ZISCO closed down in 2008 although hopes were raised when Indian firm Essar said it was prepared to pour in millions to revive the plant but the deal collapsed over mineral rights that had been written into the deal which some hardliners in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front felt were unpalatable.
The deal was signed in 2010 when Tsvangirai was Prime Minister and his former colleague Welshman Ncube was Minister of Industry.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa formally announced the collapse of the deal in November 2015.
Tsvangirai today told former employees that the collapse of Ziscosteel and the murky manner in which the Essar deal collapsed represented the true ZANU-PF legacy of unbridled incompetence.
He addressed the former workers as part of his tour of the Midlands which today took him to Kadoma, Kwekwe and Redcliff.
Tomorrow he is travelling to Mberengwa and Zvishavane.
Binga South Member of Parliament Joel Gabbuza said in November 2015 that a quarter to half of the country’s problems would be resolved if ZISCO came into operation today.
He said ZISCO was so intricate and interlocked to all aspects of the economy that the government must mobilize funds to resuscitate the company if it cannot find an investor.
The revival of ZISCO would boost the construction industry, Hwange Colliery, Sable Chemical as well as all the small and medium industries that make things like scotch carts.
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