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Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The country’s major urban local authorities tied up major deals at the just-ended Local Government Investment Conference held in Bulawayo with one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturing companies, FAW Group Corporation, expected to set up an automobile assembly plant in Bulawayo.

Harare City Council is considering proposals for onsite sewage treatment technologies, housing projects as well as tourism facilities tabled by various investors at the conference.

Bulawayo got proposals by companies keen to fund its urban renewal programme and other capital projects, which include rehabilitation of sewer works, pipes and roads.

Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube confirmed FAW was interested in setting up a plant in Bulawayo and management had identified a site for the plant.

“We have identified a piece of land for FAW but it has to be approved by council. There are other promising deals which we cannot disclose at the moment because they are still in their infancy but we have investors who are keen to fund our capital projects which include rehabilitation of our sewer system, roads and regeneration of the city,” he said.

“A lot of investors are keen to put money into urban regeneration of areas like Makokoba. We want to turn these areas into modern space through erecting modern structures like high rise buildings.”

FAW Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Patrick Masocha confirmed that the China-headquartered company, which also has operations in South Africa, had agreed in principle with the Bulawayo City Council to set up a vehicle assembly plant in Bulawayo.

“We have since got our offer letter and we are planning to open a big plant. We have plans to have branches in all the country’s major cities,” he said.

Harare Town Clerk Eng Hosiah Chisango said the city had also received numerous proposals.

He could not divulge the names because of non-disclosure agreements.

“We received proposals for on-site sewage treatment technologies which we can use for some of our new settlements. We are also negotiating housing projects with some financiers/investors. These are fitting into our plans for Mbare’s regeneration,” he said.

“Some investors are interested in tourism facilities like hotels and we are discussing around how we can provide land for these facilities.”