The Government has approved plans to develop a Mannhis smart city in the Midlands to go along with the construction of a $1.5 billion steel plant by Denson Iron and Steel Corporation (Disco).
The new city, which is set to be a game-changer for the country, will be created for about 30,000 residents.
The integrated iron and steel plant being built by Chinese company Disco in Mvuma, which is expected to become one of the largest in Africa, represents a huge stepping stone in Zimbabwe’s modernization and industrialization agenda.
A university and foundry center are also being planned to be built in Manhez – a development that will create employment opportunities for more than 20,000 people.
Relying on the fact that iron ore, the main ingredient in steel production, has reserves lasting more than 200 years, the city will not turn into a ghost town.
The first phase of production at the giant steel plants is scheduled to begin at the end of April.
This opening moves Zimbabwe to its position as a giant in steel manufacturing and expanding the mining industry as all raw materials are extracted locally.
Iron ore is very close to Manhiz, creating thousands of new jobs in expanding steel mills and in heavy industry as Zimbabwean industrialists exploit local steel.
Also under the Second Republic, old mines that were closed are being reopened, giving impetus to achieving an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
President Mnangagwa presided over the groundbreaking ceremony at Disco two years before the paving
Road to construction work starting in 2022. The plant is 95 percent complete and ready for operation.
The Disco plant, a subsidiary of Chinese iron and steel giant Tsingshan Holdings, began taking shape in June 2022, when initial works on the site began.
Disco is expected to produce 600,000 tons of products in the first phase, rising to 1.2 million tons in the second phase. It will then rise to 3.2 million tons in the third phase and eventually 5 million tons per annum in the final phase, providing a full range of steel products to the Zimbabwean and international industry.
The country will earn millions of dollars in exports as it becomes a major regional supplier and benefits from its presence within the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Products that the company will eventually produce include pipes, bars, bolts, nuts, smaller slags, rolled pipes, fences, poles, wires, rods, etc.
Other infrastructural development projects that will come as a result of the Manhiz steel mills include the construction of a 50-kilometre railway line from Mvuma to the steel mill.
Disco also signed a memorandum of understanding with the government to undertake the renovation and construction of a 1,000 km railway system to provide a dedicated, reliable, uninterrupted and efficient railway line to facilitate the movement of the company’s products for local citizens. Export and import methods.
In an interview, Disco Public Relations Manager, Mr. Joseph Shoko, said plans for Manhiz City are beginning to take shape.
“Exciting times are on the horizon for the residents of this area. The new city will be called Manhiz and will have the modern style or standards of a smart city featuring high-rise buildings, schools, university, shops and banks,” he said.
“We are not planning to create a ghost town because the mineral resources here will last for 200 years, which is the lifespan of this steel plant. We will build a very big dam for tourism activities, and even if the resources run out, the university will still be there and so will the dam for recreational activities to attract tourists.
Mr Shoko said the steel plant would also benefit the manufacturing industries and thus contribute to Vision 2030.
“We will see the clustering of industries here and there will be sub-industries that will breathe life into this area. The government has approved this city and what we are waiting for is the foundation stone laying ceremony at a date to be announced.
President Chiromanzo commended the Second Republic for spearheading the socio-economic development of his region.
“I am excited to note the positive development that the Second Republic has begun under President Mnangagwa. Who would have thought that we could have a new city in this region? This is good for us because our children are now working and we expect more jobs,” he declares.
