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Midlands Correspondent
Gokwe Town Council has invited investors to partner the local authority in a number of infrastructural development projects as council is facing financial constraints.

The projects, which range from sports and recreational facilities to schools as well as ablution facilities, will be done on a Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement.

In an interview recently, town secretary Ms Melania Mandeya said in line with President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra, Gokwe was also open for business. She said lack of funding was stalling a lot of developmental projects that council has lined up and called on investors to come on board.

“We are calling upon investors who want to venture into different projects to come and partner Gokwe, we are open for business and have a lot of land that is lying idle,” said Mrs Mandeya.

“So, if investors come, then we see how best we can move forward and utilise the land. We could not embark on our stadium project due to lack of funding and we continue calling for interested parties to come for the project.”

Ms Mandeya said the council also intended to construct a waiting and shower room for people who travel long distances to Gokwe Centre to conduct business.

“We discovered the need for a shower room at Gokwe Centre where people would be taking baths and having access to ablution facilities and having meals there,” she said.

“But given the scenario, there is no way we can start talking about that now as we focus more on service delivery.”

Most people embark on two-day journeys from places like Jahana, Sengwa, Chitekete, Jiri and Kana to conduct business at Gokwe Centre.

Mrs Mandeya said vendors had been moved from the centre, not only to prevent cholera, but also to attract investors.

Gokwe has been on the right track in as far as infrastructural development is concerned, with tertiary institutions like Midlands State University and Catholic University being the latest to set bases in the town.

Recently, the town also completed the construction of a town house, which has since changed the face of the town and improved service delivery.