Midlands Provincial Affairs minister Larry Mavhima has urged Zimbabwean companies to generate foreign currency by producing internationally competitive products and not expect allocations from the government.
Mavhima said farmers could generate foreign currency by producing food in demand internationally, particularly meat and citrus fruit products.
He said government would seek markets for the produce, while providing technical support for the mass production and sale of finished products.
Mavhima was speaking to close to 50 provincial heads of ministries and government parastatals who toured Zion Christian Church (ZCC) headquarters and Chief Mutendi’s area in Defe, 100km south west of Gokwe town, on Wednesday.
“There is a general misconception that government generates foreign currency. Instead, industry, farmers and private companies should generate foreign currency through production of goods in demand internationally,” Mavhima said.
“The role of government should be to seek markets for these products. People and companies must change this mentality if we are to attain our vision of a middle class economy by 2030.”
Under the stewardship of Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, villagers from the area in ecological region four and five, whose soils are loose and affected by tear faults, are undertaking various income-generating projects.
Mutendi has a vision to change the breed of their livestock through the introduction of Boer goats, hybrid sheep as well as improve pigeon, fish, cattle and crop production.
The church also wants to establish a mini-hydro power station to generate electricity for the villagers.
Government delegates were taken on a tour of Defe, which is slowly being developed into a green zone with numerous gardens belonging to the 500 families settled in that part of the Gokwe Sesame constituency.
Mutendi encouraged villagers, most of who are members of the ZCC, to engage in income-generating projects and used the gospel to convince his “flock”.
