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Freedom Mupanedemo-Midlands Bureau

Closed for over a decade, Ziscosteel in Redcliff was once one of the largest steel mills in Southern Africa, producing over one million tonnes of steel annually with around 8 000 workers.

Ziscosteel was the major industry in the Midlands, with Redcliff housing most of the workers and Kwekwe hosting a string of industries supplying the steelworks or using its products in downstream industries. 

Both the city and the town were heavily reliant economically on Ziscosteel and the buying power of its large workforce.

Several attempts to resuscitate the steel giant have hit a snag and Cabinet’s Tuesday announcement that the Government-owned company had secured Kuvimba Mining House as a partner, has rekindled the hopes, the nostalgic piece of history and the aura that surrounds the Redcliff community and the country at large when the company was up and running.

Amid the mixed feelings that shrouds the good news on the revival of the steel giant, there is confidence from among the community of Redcliff and Kwekwe that the new dispensation has never failed to deliver since assuming power in 2018.

In the last four years, President Mnangagwa has scored successes in the economy and the talk of the Ziscosteel revival is somewhat sweet news to many especially the Redcliff community.

“It’s sweet news that our Zisco will be back. We are very confident the new Government will deliver because the old dispensation has had many false promises on the revival of Zisco. 

“Everytime there is such an announcement we remain sceptical, but under President Mnangagwa, we have high hopes. We are very happy that at last I might see myself going back to my old workplace and live a good life once again,” remarked Mr Martin Moyo who worked for Ziscosteel for 11 years before he was retrenched.

He said the company still owed him in salary arrears, but reiterated his desire to work for the company once again.

Chief Njelele of Gokwe who spent over 15 years working at Ziscosteel said its resuscitation will be a major score for the Second Republic.

“Ziscosteel is no joke. It’s an economy in itself. I was very happy on Cabinet’s move to appoint a partner. It will be one of the major highlights for the Second Republic if they manage to bring back this huge company. There will be a lot of jobs created, foreign currency generated. Actually it will be one of the major pillars of the country’s economy,” he said

Once a promising town, Redcliff Municipality has been struggling since the demise of Ziscosteel. The community has been faced with perennial water challenges and was fast turning into a ghost town.

Recently, the local authority surrendered water management to Kwekwe City after it failed to run the water reticulation on its own.

Ziscosteel group chief executive, Dr Farayi Karonga said he was elated by the latest news.

“Zisco management is thrilled that the Government has made the determination. We are now looking forward to working with Kuvimba to resuscitate steel production at Ziscosteel,” he said. 

Mr Tichaona Mashava, another former employee, said he was also hopeful the company’s revival will take shape soon.

“This is good news indeed. When the company is operating, we are hopeful that we will get jobs for our children. I am now old but I worked for this company,” he said.

Mr Mashava said life has never been the same in Redcliff since the demise of Ziscosteel.

“We are facing a lot of challenges due to the closure of the company. No service delivery; no water; everything is tough for us as residents,” he said.

Redcliff Mayor councillor Clayton Masiyatsva said the revival of Ziscosteel was good news while the implementation of the deal was key.

“Its good news for the Redcliff community if implemented. Remember we had some arrangements before with other investors but nothing materialised. We pray that this time around that the partnership will work,” he said.

Zimbabwe Institute of Foundries chief executive Mr Dosman Mangisi lauded the development saying it would also help cut the cost in the foundry sector.

“Once Ziscosteel starts operating, the metal cast industry will benefit as it will witness a reduction in the cost of production. It will also improve the quality of iron and steel products thereby improving the products as well as making them competitive on the global market,” he said.

He also said other foundries, which had closed owing to a shortage of raw materials would be resuscitated.