BINDURA – Mashonaland Central Province has recorded significant growth in agricultural production while unveiling three Special Economic Zones (SEZs) aimed at accelerating industrialisation and advancing Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 agenda.
The developments were announced during the 2026 Second Quarter Provincial Development Committee Meeting by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. Christopher Magomo, whose speech was delivered by the Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Timothy Maregere.
The province reported notable increases in harvested crop areas compared to the previous season, with maize production rising by 32 percent, soybean by 68 percent and sorghum by 8 percent.
The winter wheat programme also surpassed its target, achieving 100.1 percent of the planned 25 000 hectares.
Mashonaland Central maintained its position as Zimbabwe’s leading tobacco-producing province, having marketed 107.2 million kilogrammes of tobacco valued at US$263.5 million as of 14 May 2026, the highest volume and value recorded nationally.
To stimulate investment and value addition, Government has designated three Special Economic Zones across the province. The Muzarabani-Mbire SEZ will focus on oil, gas, energy and petrochemical industries, the Mvurwi-Mazowe SEZ will drive agro-processing and the tobacco value chain, while the Bindura-Shamva SEZ will concentrate on mineral beneficiation and manufacturing.
On the social development front, Treasury has disbursed ZWG4.5 million to support programmes aimed at combating drug and substance abuse. Provincial authorities emphasised that the funds should be utilised transparently and effectively to strengthen prevention and rehabilitation initiatives.
The province is also expanding access to health and education services through decentralisation. The commissioning of the Chimhanda School of Nursing is expected to address shortages of healthcare personnel while strengthening local capacity in the health sector.
In addition, the deployment of desk officers from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and the Consumer Protection Commission is expected to improve service delivery by reducing reliance on Harare-based offices.
To strengthen governance and accountability, provincial leadership directed chairpersons and co-chairpersons of the province’s 10 Thematic Working Groups to attend Provincial Development Committee meetings in person, with proxy representation permitted only under exceptional circumstances.
Provincial authorities said the measures are intended to enhance coordination, accelerate implementation of development programmes and support the attainment of Vision 2030.
