21 Nov 2024

Berhard Development Company, a Zimbabwe-based business, is in the process of partnering with the Zutshwa community to engage in soda ash related project.

Berhard Development Corporation CEO, Mr Bernard Mutanga said the company was interested in establishing business in Botswana in steel manufacturing, iron processing and setting up a lithium plant.

Mr Mutanga paid a courtesy call on the Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale at the Botswana Embassy premises in Zimbabwe, where he said a company called Ninth Hour Project had been registered to do business in Botswana.

He said Botswana was the second largest producer of Soda Ash in the world and it would be used for production of lithium products. He said the company was also setting up a steel production plant in Zimbabwe. Mr Mutanga said Behard expected to create 15 000 to 20 000 jobs in the country.

The company has joined hands with Universities of Zimbabwe and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) for training, skills transfer and undertaking of some research in various sectors of their businesses, with a view to consider growth, maintain quality produce and being cautious of the environment.

“It is important to do business in Botswana since it has political stability and is one of the countries in SADC with sound financial support strategies,” Mr Mutanga said and explained that from Dr Butale they got the assurance and support of establishing business in Botswana as soon as possible.

He said preliminary stages of establishing the project were ongoing with hope to do ground breaking activities next month. Zutshwa salt, he said was of desired quality hence ‘we have agreed in principle to work together’. He said the company was already accredited with Botswana Investment and Trade Centre. He said establishing a steel company would require the use of coal.

He said since the Botswana coal was mainly good for thermal power production, the company would engage BIUST and Zimbabwe universities to work on a project of combining the Botswana and Zimbabwe coal and come up with a high quality mix that would work well on producing steel products.

Mr Mutanga said the company, through its partners in Botswana had secured 1 900 hectares of land in Tshesebe to set up steel production business. He added that the company was also interested in establishing a dairy project in Tshesebe primarily focusing on producing milk to be used in pharmaceutical products.

Minister Butale said Behard was determined and ready to do business in Botswana.

“We want to fulfil the promise we made to the nation of creating jobs. Communicate all other bottlenecks that you might encounter with us.

As a ministry we are ready to facilitate you,” he said. ENDS