Staff reporter
During a tour of Mwenezi Mapfura Plant, the Member of Parliament for Mwenezi South Hon Priscilla Moyo said communities are key players in economic development.
Moyo said engaging in economic development by rural folks goes in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of achieving an upper-middle income class economy by 2030.
“The community is a key stakeholder in the production of Mapfura Wine because they are the ones that pick the fruit and sale them to the company for production. Rural industrialisation has the potential to add onto Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” Moyo said
Since the commissioning of the Plant by President Mnangagwa on the 25th of October 2021, the Plant is now processing 300 litres of Amarula wine which translates to 1000 units of 300ml per day. The company also employs 6 professional workers and 14 casual workers.
Gogo Chibodo a supplier of Mapfura fruit to the company expressed gratitude to The President for empowering rural communities. She said that widows and less privileged people can now get a living from supplying the fruit and working for the company.
“Tinotenda mukuru wenyika vaMnangagwa nekuti vhurira Industry iyi. Mapfura aya chaingova chikafu chembudzi nemadhongi asi nekuvambwa kwakaita Industry yedu, tavakungo nhonga Mapfura toenda kunotengesa kuIndustry. Mari yechikafu chevazukuru kana muriwo haichandi netsa kuwana (We are grateful to our President for opening up this Rural Industry. Before the Industry, Marula fruit was food for goats and donkeys. Now we too have an interest in them and so we just pick them then we take them to the Industry for resale),” she said.
Government has since embarked on creating Rural Industry in its bid to create a self-sufficient Zimbabwean. Other Rural Industry Projects includes two in Mashonaland Central Province where Government has already distributed funds to construct two plants which will be located in the same Province.
