Vandudzai Zirebhwa Buy Zimbabwe
Colloquially known as “The City of Kings”, “Skies”, “Blues” or ‘KoNtuthu ziyathunqa’ in SiNdebele , meaning “a place that continually exudes smoke”, the city of Bulawayo is very important in Zimbabwe’s economic history. As its SiNdebele colloquial name suggests, Bulawayo, which is Zimbabwe’s second largest after the capital Harare, was historically famed for its large industrial base.
For a long time, Bulawayo was regarded as the industrial centre of the country and the city served as the hub to the country’s rail network, with the National Railways of Zimbabwe headquartered there. At some point, there was even debate on whether the NRZ Headquarters was the country’s tallest building. Towering at 100m in height, it has since been established that the building is Zimbabwe’s third tallest after the New Reserve Bank Tower and Joina City.
Even outside the business realm, Bulawayo held its own. Being home to one of the country’s best known soccer teams, Highlanders, and having nurtured soccer legends like the Ndlovu brothers, Peter and the late Adam as well as international great Benjani Mwaruwari, and not to mention big names in music such as Lovemore Majaivana and the late Beater Mangeta, the city was also an undisputed cultural hub.
The city is also home to Barbourfields Stadium, one of Zimbabwe’s most popular arenas. Even one of Zimbabwe’s most iconic freedom fighters and most illustrious sons, the late Joshua Nkomo, fondly referred to as “Father Zimbabwe” for his role in emancipating the country, hailed from the City of Kings.
In all honesty, the list of Bulawayo’s accomplishments is truly endless.
Yet alas, the smoke that used to dominate the Bulawayo’s skies is now nowhere to be seen. The chimneys now cast long, dreary figures exuding no smoke at all; a sure sign that the city has fallen on difficult times.
Bulawayo is now but a pale shadow of its former glory. Its industries are in a comatose state, with the bulk of them either completely shut down or under judicial management. One can only imagine what became of the people that were employed by the once robust industry.
In fact, the former industrial giant has been reduced to nothing but night clubs at every other turn and churches are now taking up former industrial space.
Even its citizens seem to have lost confidence in the city. For most school leavers, the city holds no promise at all. Those who opt to stay in Zimbabwe usually find themselves gravitating towards the capital Harare, while the vast majority cannot resist the pull of neighbouring South Africa and Botswana where the promise of better economic prospects awaits them.
The truth is, it is not only Bulawayo that stands to lose from the severe brain drain, the entire country is losing immense talent to neighbouring countries.
Now, all hope is not lost for the legendary city. Its close proximity to some of the country’s largest sources of natural gas, the Lupane Gas Fields, makes Bulawayo very strategic.
It is also close to scenic tourist destinations such as Victoria Falls and Matobo Hills, making it relevant to Zimbabwe’s economic discourse.
The challenge now is to just get Bulawayo working and to start believing again. It is precisely for this reason that Buy Zimbabwe held the Buy Zimbabwe Week in Bulawayo from the 1st to the 7th of November.
The objectives of the week long extravaganza was to conscientise the people of Bulawayo on the need to support local industry, promote sustainable production of local goods and services as well as to restructure ways in which we can reduce the country’s unsustainable import bill through the production, promotion and consumption if local goods and services.
Advocate for the procurement of local goods and Improved consumer appreciation and consumption of local goods and services Enhanced interaction and understanding between Government, regulators, authorities, financiers and
local companies Medium to long term restoration of Bulawayo’s economic status.
Rally all stakeholders to participate in the reduction of the country’s unsustainable import bill through buying locally produced goods and services, Promote the production of quality goods and services by Bulawayo firms Promote the sustainable production of local goods through the creation of a conducive economic environment Sensitise the public on the negative effects of shunning local products in favour of imports.
Until next time, God bless.
Feedback: vandudzai@buyzimbabwe.org.zw <mailto:vandudzai@buyzimbabwe.org.zw> or call 0773 751 878