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Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A CHINESE investor, Mortal Investments Manufacturing Company, will soon set up a $10 million cement manufacturing plant in Redcliff after buying 100 000 square metres of land from the town’s municipality.

Mortal Investments, which would be partnering with a consortium of local business people, purchased the 100 000 square metres for $600 000.

In an interview, Redcliff Mayor Clr Freddy Kapuya said Redcliff Municipality on Tuesday finalised the deal with the Chinese investor who will set up the plant on the idle land within the local authority’s jurisdiction.

He said the company will use slag, a by-product of Ziscosteel from smelted iron ore.

Slag is a major component in the manufacturing of Portland cement, manufactured from chalk and clay which hardens under water. When hardened it resembles Portland stone in colour. It is usually mixed with quarry to form hard concrete slabs used in the construction of bridges.

Clr Kapuya said work on the construction of the new plant will commence soon.

“Mortal Investments came to us because we are very close to the raw materials.

“Ninety-five percent of cement is made from slag and we have millions of tonnes in Zisco since it is a by-product of iron ore smelting. Mortal Investments approached us last year and initially they wanted to buy three of the companies in Redcliff but later on they realised that the space which they wanted was not enough.

“They approached us and we exempted them from paying rates for the first three years but they would have to pay for the service charges. We had a special council meeting on Monday to ratify the deal. They then paid us $600 000 for the land after they brought a letter of approval from Zimbabwe Investment Authority,” he said.

Clr Kapuya said the company is 75 percent locally owned while the remainder is owned by Chinese investors. He said the firm had rekindled hope for Redcliff as it will employ over 400 people.

“We want to regenerate Redcliff and find new investors rather than waiting for Zisco to reopen. The Chinese firm has partnered with local businesspeople to set up a state-of-the- art plant that would employ over 400 people in Redcliff. This will have a positive impact on the lives of the people in Redcliff,” he said.

In December last year a Japanese investor, Yakushuku Manufacturing Company, approached Redcliff Municipality proposing to set up a $25 million cotton ginning factory and yarn cotton manufacturing plant.

Cllr Kapuya said the Japanese company intends to use solar-powered technology for its operations with the excess power generated being fed into the national grid.

He said once the deal was sealed it would employ about 3 000.

Redcliff has a population of about 50 000.