Why strategies implemented to revive the manufacturing sector in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province during the period 2009 to 2017 failed to produce tangible results?
- September 13, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VIII, August 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Fainos Chinjova
Graduate School of Business, National University of Science and Technology, P.O Box AC 939, Ascot, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Abstract:-The study investigated the factors that were causing failure of the strategies implemented to revive the manufacturing industry in Bulawayo during the period 2009 to 2017. The manufacturing industry in Bulawayo plays a pivotal role towards the revival of the economy of Zimbabwe because of its proximity to the country’s major trading partners, South Africa and Botswana as well as being the country’s industrial hub. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology. Data was gathered using in-depth interviews with senior managers of 12 large manufacturing companies in Bulawayo. The study concluded that the main factors causing the strategies implemented to revive the manufacturing industry in Bulawayo fail to produce tangible results are the lack of funding of the manufacturing companies, use of obsolete machinery and equipment by manufacturing companies, lack of political will, uncertainty due to short term economic policies implemented in the sector, poor supply of essential utilities to manufacturing companies and poor transport infrastructure in Bulawayo. To ensure effective implementation of strategies to revive the manufacturing sector in Bulawayo, the study recommend that the government should avail funds to the manufacturing sector, remove duty on equipment and machinery used in the manufacturing sector, reducing corporate tax on manufacturing companies, assist local authorities in rehabilitation of roads in Bulawayo, Bulawayo City Council should try to ensure constant supply of water to the manufacturing sector, ZESA should exempt manufacturing companies from load shedding and there should be political support to revive the manufacturing sector in Bulawayo.
Key Terms: Revival strategies; Manufacturing companies
I. INTRODUCTION
Bulawayo was for years been Zimbabwe’s industrial hub because of its strategic proximity to South Africa and Botswana, as well as being the nearest city to the country’s prime tourist destination, Victoria Falls (Mail& Guardian, 2014). Bulawayo boasted of a large number of large manufacturing and engineering companies. Many of these manufacturing companies in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province have either shut down or relocated to Harare leaving the once productive industrial areas of Belmont and Donnington bereft (Mail & Guardian, 2014).
