By A Correspondent– President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday explained why he was performing some of his official duties while he is supposed to be on his three-week annual vacation.

Speaking after a tour of a laptop assembling plant at Telone’s Msasa factory in Harare on Thursday morning, Mnangagwa said:

I did not want to come here because I am on leave. But, the Chief Secretary (Dr Misheck Sibanda) insisted that I should come and see this establishment saying it needs the support of the government. After touring the facility, I must say I am happy.

I also informed Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is the acting President now, that I wish (he) could accompany me to see this innovation. I don’t think he is regretting, because as we were walking around we said this is what we should have done many years ago.

The plant is a culmination of a process which started back in 2018 and saw Telone getting into partnerships with various local and international partners to form a company called Zimbabwe Information Technology Company (ZITCO).

The plant currently produces 50 000 laptops per year. It also produces desktops and tablets.

-StateMedia