Matabeleland South’s new five-year development plan risks remaining another set of ambitious targets unless the government, local authorities and the private sector put in place clear mechanisms to track implementation and hold institutions accountable, provincial affairs and devolution minister, Albert Nguluvhe has said.
Nguluvhe made the remarks in Bulawayo on Monday during a workshop to formulate the second Provincial Economic Development Plan (PEDP2), which will guide development in the province from 2026 to 2030.
The plan sets a target of growing the provincial economy to US$3.485 billion and GDP per capita of US$4.200 by 2030.
Nguluvhe said achieving those targets would require more than commitments on paper, calling for sector working groups to establish mechanisms for implementation, monitoring and accountability.
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“I call upon all sector working groups, from mining, agriculture, social services, infrastructure, and commerce, to local governance and human capital development, to deliberate with utmost rigour,” said the provincial minister.
“Let us establish clear implementation, monitoring and accountability mechanisms so that no ward, no community, and no citizen is left behind.”
The workshop brought together government departments, local authorities, traditional leaders, the private sector and development partners, reflecting an attempt to broaden responsibility for the province’s development beyond government.
“This is the first of its kind, that government and the private sector including development partners and traditional leaders sit at the round table and decide what is best for Matabeleland South,” Nguluvhe said.
But the province enters the new planning cycle with structural challenges that have continued to constrain investment, employment and service delivery.
Nguluvhe acknowledged employment remains largely informal, while infrastructure deficits, high borrowing costs, regulatory charges and recurrent droughts continue to weigh on economic activity.
“Our provincial employment remains highly informal. Infrastructure deficits, high cost of capital, regulatory double-charging, and severe climate-induced droughts threaten our momentum,” he said.
He called for local licensing processes to be streamlined, provincial equipment hire centres to be established and access to finance for small and medium enterprises expanded through SMEDCO branches.
The plan also seeks to reduce the risks associated with investing in rural areas, where limited infrastructure and access to finance can constrain private-sector activity.
Nguluvhe said the province must also move away from exporting raw minerals and agricultural commodities without significant local processing.
“Matabeleland South cannot remain a mere extraction zone for unrefined minerals and primary agricultural goods,” he said.
“Through this week’s engagements, our growth must be inclusive, structurally transformed, and value-added.”
Under PEDP2, the province plans to expand mineral beneficiation in gold, lithium, limestone, chrome and coal.
The government is also targeting the completion of major cement and fertiliser manufacturing plants by mid-2027.
Agriculture and agro-processing are expected to focus on cattle and citrus value chains, climate-smart irrigation and Village Business Units.
Infrastructure and human capital development form another pillar of the plan.
Nguluvhe said the government intends to complete and equip 41 legacy science laboratories, expand Technical and Vocational Education and Training trade testing across all seven districts and complete key water projects, including Tuli Manyange Dam.
The province also intends to position its border posts, Beitbridge, Plumtree, Maitengwe, Mphoengs and Mlambapele, as regional transit corridors and potential Special Economic Zones under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
However, turning these ambitions into measurable improvements for communities will depend on whether the targets are matched with resources, timelines and mechanisms for monitoring delivery.
Nguluvhe said the province’s natural resources and strategic location gave it a comparative advantage, but stressed that stakeholders would need to work collectively to ensure that development translated into improved livelihoods.
“The success of these interventions would ultimately depend on how effectively they were implemented and monitored,” he said.
“The vast natural endowments and strategic location award us a comparative advantage to improve livelihoods both in the Province and nationally.”
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