VP Chiwenga salutes Catholic Church’s agro-industr...

VP Chiwenga salutes Catholic Church’s agro-industrial venture for national food sufficiency

Patience Muchemwa

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has praised the Roman Catholic Church for its role in creating a bankable agro-industrial corporation aimed at improving national food sufficiency.

The project, known as the Catholic Economy Value Chain-Driefontein project in Mvuma, is part of Stella Mundi (Pvt) Ltd, created by the Catholic Church to enhance economic value in the agriculture value chain, promote financial self-sustenance, ensure food security, and contribute to the national development agenda.

The Driefontein Project focuses on wheat production, rotating with soya beans and maize, and is seen as a model for sustainable agricultural development in Zimbabwe.

Speaking after touring the project, VP Chiwenga said such bankable projects run by technocrats dovetail with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s national development thrust and Government will always be available to help.

“The involvement and participation of the church in state programmes of feeding the nation, gives me the pleasure to safely say, together we are the two wings that will fly the country to greater heights.

Chiwenga was pleased with the Roman Catholic Church’s wheat project under the ‘Catholic Economy Value Chain’

“I am pleased to stand before you to witness a massive wheat project under the ‘Catholic Economy Value Chain’ professionally modelled and monetised through a special purpose vehicle called Stella Mundi (Pvt) Ltd.

“It is pleasing to note that the Roman Catholic Church has established a huge agro-industrial corporation built upon the vast Catholic asset base, managed by top-notch technocrats from across the region, and running on a highly bankable business case.

“The business case reveals a massive entity that will not only make the Church financially self-sustaining, but will drastically impact the country as far as employment and food security and sufficiency is concerned.

This strategy is significant as it dovetails with the Second Republic’s thrust to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security at household and national levels as the country strides towards Vision 2030.”

Gweru Bishop, Rudolph Nyandoro, acknowledged the Government for supporting the church in setting up their project.

“The vision of the bishops is to unlock value in the Catholic asset base with a view to building capacity to positively impact millions of people in the communities and in the country.

We acknowledge the passionate support the Government gave to our vision, their endorsement and active support was pivotal in Stella Mundi securing the requisite commercial loans to launch the project.”

He added that 100 people have been employed on this project which is still in its first year and are looking at employing more as they target growth.

Chiwenga was accompanied by Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Dr Anxious Masuka, and Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube.