State Media|Yesterday morning, President Emmerson Mnangagwa met officials from US industrial behemoth General Electric (GE), who have since expressed a strong commitment to supply medical equipment for the country’s major hospitals, including technology for electricity generating units at Hwange Power Station.
GE and China Power recently launched a joint bid for a contract to construct the 2 400-megawatt Batoka Gorge hydropower plant, which is being pursued by Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Government is leveraging on the US-Africa Business Summit, which ends today, to step up its re-engagement drive with private companies and multilateral stakeholders.
Ageing equipment at the thermal power plant is currently affecting output, which has worsened the country’s energy security situation.
Speaking after the meeting, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncuce said the US$120 billion-valued multinational conglomerate “is very serious about investing in Zimbabwe”.
“As you know, General Electric is a massive global company; US-based, and we have discussed different things. First of all, it was their involvement in infrastructure investment as an equipment supplier — technology supplier — this is around Hwange (Units) 1 and 4, but also around their involvement with Batoka Gorge,” said Prof Ncube.
“But also we talked about their involvement in the health sector; as you know they are a big supplier and manufacture for medical equipment globally, so they care about that sector. We would like our hospitals to be upgraded, at least the key hospitals of Parirenyatwa, Mpilo and other hospitals – at least those are the two big ones – but we would like four to five hospitals to be upgraded, so that was the nature of the discussions,” he said.
The parties also explored possible exploration of methane gas deposits that have remained largely unexploited, particularly in the western parts of the country.
GE, which was represented by Mr Farid Fezoua, who is the chief executive officer of the African unit, reportedly welcomed Government proposals.
Prof Ncube said: “But also we discussed the gas sector because they have a strong oil and gas division. We discussed about whether they could be involved in the exploration of gas in Zimbabwe as well. We have got methane gas deposits in the western parts of the country.
“So it was quite wide-ranging and they seemed to be welcoming every proposal that we put to them, and we will continue to explore the relationship with them, but they are very serious about being active in Zimbabwe.”
It is believed that growing business relations between US and China might make the 18-year embargo – which impede trade – untenable.
“This is part of the re-engagement exercise, you know this is a US company, they are a very important company, this is re-engagement at its best and private sector angles to re-engagement.
“Certainly the private sector is a key player in dealing with difficulties such as sanctions, absolutely, so we see the private sector in Zimbabwe playing an important role. Everyone will benefit from the lifting of sanctions . . ,” added Prof Ncube.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home last night and was received at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Harare Metropolitan Province Oliver Chidawu, Minister of Defence and War Veterans Oppah Muchinguri, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, service chiefs and other senior government officials.