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George Maponga in Masvingo

A Masvingo-based ruling party affiliate, Bigdeal Economic Empowerment Movement (BEEM), plans to start manufacturing freezits or penny coolers using guava and mango juice and create job opportunities for hundreds of young people across the province after drawing inspiration from the Mwenezi Mapfura/Marula Value addition project that was commissioned by the Second Republic.

BEEM wants to set up a factory in Masvingo City to produce guava and mango juice to make freezits taking advantage of the two fruits that are ubiquitous in the province.

BEEM founder Mr James Pande says the move to venture into making freezits or penny coolers using guava or mango juice is inspired by the Mapfura/Marula plant in Mwenezi which has been a huge success story as the abundant mapfura/marula plant is now being commercialised and used to manufacture products such as wine, body oils and stock feed.

”We are in the process of doing a feasibility study to build a guava and mango processing plant in Masvingo City that will produce fruit juice for making freezits. We want to take advantage of fruits that are found in abundance in Masvingo. The Mwenezi Mapfura/Marula plant that was commissioned by President Mnangagwa was an eye-opener and we now want to replicate the concept to create jobs for our young people which is in line with Vision 2030. Besides using locally available raw materials,” said Mr Pande.

BEEM is already leading an initiative to create jobs for youths in Masvingo with the company already involved in the distribution of an energy drink, Apple Crunch, which is being distributed by targeted youthful vendors in the ancient city as part of a drive to empower them.

The empowerment movement’s exhibition stand, during the recently held National Youth Day celebrations at Mushagashe Vocational Training Centre, hogged the limelight with BEEM earning plaudits for its various programmes aimed at empowering youths.