Mnangagwa Keeps Gen Chiwenga Busy In Peripheries While Plotting His Deputy’s Downfall ? – Eduzim News

Tinashe Sambiri– Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga is in Manicaland today, continuing a nationwide tour of economic projects that critics say appears designed to keep him occupied in remote provinces while major political decisions are made elsewhere.

Dr Chiwenga is expected to complete the tour on Friday after visiting several companies in the province. His itinerary includes Dorowa Minerals in Dorowa, Sabi Star Lithium Mine in Buhera, and Verify Engineering in Mutare, as he moves through projects the Government claims are key to the country’s economic revival.

The tour comes at a time when the Government says it wants to “capitalise on minerals that are on demand and develop local industries through value addition, beneficiation and industrialisation to promote long-term national development and stability.”

However, critics argue that the narrative of economic progress contrasts sharply with the realities facing many struggling industries.

For example, Dorowa Minerals Limited, Zimbabwe’s only phosphate mine, was once producing about 150 000 tonnes per year, but production reportedly collapsed to just 3 500 tonnes, highlighting years of decline in the mining sector.

Authorities say a US$5.3 million loan facility has been secured for the first phase of restoring the plant, although questions remain about how quickly the project can revive meaningful production.

Meanwhile, Verify Engineering, described as a major gas producer, is said to be supplying international markets, even as many local industries continue to battle shortages of capital and aging infrastructure.

Officials insist that the Vice President’s provincial tour is meant to demonstrate Government’s commitment to reviving “high-impact projects” aligned with the country’s economic blueprint. Yet observers note that such tours have become frequent publicity exercises with limited visible transformation on the ground.

Dr Chiwenga is accompanied by Manicaland Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza and Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Engineer Amos Marawa, along with other senior government officials.

The Vice President has already toured Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, Midlands and Masvingo provinces, a schedule that has kept him moving across distant regions of the country for weeks.

While authorities frame the visits as part of efforts to accelerate economic development, critics increasingly question whether the relentless provincial tours are more about optics than results, and whether they conveniently keep the Vice President away from the political centre of power in Harare.

Related