ANALYSIS | The state owned Herald newspaper has reported that an Australian shelf company with no assets, once said to be owned by white investors, in fact belongs to the government of Zimbabwe.
The matter adds confusion to claims that the entity is a real addition to the national domestic product.
The full piece cites the minister responsible, Amon Murwira who has a pile of promised investment projects whose owners have failed to being in any funds into the country contrary to flashing headlines. One of them is a diesel from coal project which was said would wipe out the country’s fuel problems. 3 years later, ZimEye reveals the investor does not even have $5,000 in his bank account.
The article however celebrates the development saying:
In yet another hallmark of the Second Republic reform and development agenda, President Mnangagwa is today expected to officially commission the multi-million dollar medical oxygen and industrial gas plant at Feruka in Mutare, which has a capacity to meet national needs with room for exporting.
Dovetailing into President Mnangagwa mantra of building the country stone by stone, the oxygen plant that was developed by a wholly owned Government company with local engineers and technicians, also demonstrates the success of the National Development Strategy-1 which among other issues aims at retooling and capacitating the country’s industries to meet world standards.
Wholly State-owned company Verify Engineering built the plant in a demonstration of the Second Republic’s quest to see a highly industrialised Zimbabwe using locally available resources.
In an interview, Minister of Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Professor Amon Murwira, under whose purview HIT falls said all is set for Zimbabwe to enter a new and exciting phase where it meets its oxygen requirements.
“All is set for the launch by President Mnangagwa tomorrow (today). This is a technology and development entity under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary, which will be processing medical and industrial gases. The plant is now done and we are looking forward for the production of nitrogen and oxgyen,” he said.
Outlining how the project was completed, Prof Murwira recently said his Ministry got the direction on the way forward from President Mnangagwa.
“The President gives direction on what needs to be done and we teach it at our institutions. A nation is built intentionally, not by accident. Once a nation is able to implement its own programmes, you cannot stop that nation.”
Prof Murwira said the President gave the national strategic intention, in Zimbabwe’s case achieving an upper middle income economy under Vision 2030.
The oxygen plant will among other needs, meet the demand for hospital oxygen in intensive care units, especially by critically ill Covid-19 patients.Verify Engineering operates under the Harare Institute of Technology.
Although the project was started in 2005, it stalled because of lack of resources. But with the onset of the Second Republic, adequate resources were channelled into this important national project resulting in its recent completion.
In an interview last week, Verify Engineering board chairman, Air Commodore Engineer Dr Edgar Kamusoko, said the completion of the medical energy and industrial gas plant was a demonstration that Zimbabwean engineers had the capacity to do the needed work and contribute to the industrialisation of the country.
“Verify Engineering is a wholly State-owned company meant to develop innovations and technology for the development of Zimbabwe. It is under the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Ministry and we are contributing towards the success of the Education 5.0 policy through the component of innovation and technological development. Our sole aim is to see the industrialisation of Zimbabwe.
“The completion of this project is a clear demonstration of the capacity we have internally as Zimbabwe to develop our own economy,” said Eng Kamusoko.
“The completion of the medical oxygen plant was a big milestone as this will go a long way in scaling up the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Our health sector is in critical need of medical oxygen and we have the production capacity to meet our national requirements as well as export to neighbouring countries.”
Besides the medical supplies the company is also providing the oxy-acetylene welding supplies, important in the fabrication industry and the only way of welding away from a good electricity supply.
To ensure that the medical oxygen reaches the hospitals and others who need it, the company had already imported 5 000 cylinders with a further 5 000 set to arrive in the country soon. Eng Kamusoko hailed the support the company received from the Government.
“This project was wholly funded by Government and it is manned by Zimbabwean engineers and technicians. The completion of this project also demonstrates Government’s commitment to develop its own technology and industries.
The company is also working on other projects that include the establishment of a coal-to-fertiliser plant and coal-to-fuel plant in Lisulu, Hwange.
The company has designed a pilot plant capable of producing 5 000 litres of fuel a day, synthesised using an iron based-catalyst. It has commissioned an air separation unit and is now constructing an acetylene plant.
Oxy-acetylene welding is common when electricity is not available for arc-welding and is critical for a great deal of metalwork done in areas not on the national grid, while being useful in other areas.
Zimbabwe has defied odds to mount a thorough and effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic and has managed to minimise the effects of the disease on its citizenry.
Zimbabwe had been importing most of the materials needed to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic but by the end of last year, NatPharm reported that more than 70 percent of the equipment needed to respond to the virus was now being manufactured locally.
Meanwhile, 2 years ago, the Operations Manager of another fuel project, Nkosikhona Holdings came on ZimEye to apologise to the nation. MrRyan Chinyangare(23), while saying he is sorry for causing embarrassment to Zimbabwe, emphasised that he was too young around at the time when the deal was signed.
His apology (full text below) came as it emerged the company is nowhere near commencing business as previously advertised.
Chinyangare said,” I would like to express my sincerest apologies for the shame and embarrassment that I brought on the CTX Project and all the stakeholders in the media report released in Dec 2018. ” FULL TEXT AND VIDEO BELOW –
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
By Ryan Chinyangare| To Nkosikhona Holdings and the Republic of Zimbabwe, I would like to express my sincerest apologies for the shame and embarrassment that I brought on the CTX Project and all the stakeholders in the media report released in Dec 2018.
I accept that this act was against the greater good and I should have put the interests of the nation before my own. I deeply regret the course of action I chose to take. It is with due respect that I ask for forgiveness from Nkosikhona Holdings a consortium member of Magcor International and the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Higher & Tertiary Education, Science and Technology for prematurely trying to evoke my commission agreement payment last year I was of the view that after my work with Nkosikhona Holdings and Magcor International in helping them secure the 55,2 Billion dollar CTX Project, on my exit it was rightfully so that I would be paid immediately.
However the plans may have changed after the team’s trip to China and the project has taken a different route. I can confidently confirm that this project is bigger and greater than my personal gains and as such I would like to apologize to Hon. Minister Murwira, one of he most honorable men I have come to know together with the Verify Engineering Executive members, especially Eng Tapfumanei.
Without favor I can confidently say these are patriotic men who I speak in high regard because of their integrity and work ethics. I strongly believe I rushed into taking action against Nkosikhona Holdings a Consortium Member of Magcor International without understanding the dynamic facts of the project.
I strongly believe Nkosikhona Holdings,7 a Consortium Member of Magcor International will not runaway from its due responsibility of paying my commission and as such I see it fit, that I take a step back and allow them to work on this prestigious project that is futuristic which will help & benefit Zimbabwe in the future.
I worked for Nkosikhona Holdings – the executive is one to be respected and be trusted.
They work with honour, love and passion at the same time identifying each other as family despite the different nationalities. It was an honour working with them and I regret the damage that I may have caused to the reputation of this reputable consortium.
It’s also in the view that I would like to personal ask for forgiveness from Mr GM Rousseau and Mike Glynn (Prmident/Founden Magcor International whom I also had the pleasure of working with and I also view with great regard as honorable men.
I should also indicate that my apology is not because I have received any money, but it’s after the realization that Zimbabwe comes first.
Ryan Chinyangare – Former Nkosikhona Holdings Operations Manager.
-Herald/additional reporting