BY KUDZAI JAKACHIRA
The Epworth Local Board has launched an ambitious, multi-faceted strategy aimed at transforming Epworth into a modern commercial and industrial hub.
Under its proposed urban master plan, the local authority plans to shift the area from a historically informal settlement into a thriving business and industrial centre.
The blueprint focuses on major infrastructure projects, including the establishment of a farmers’ market, a specialised airport industrial zone and several vocational training centres to develop a skilled workforce.
At the centre of the strategy is a strong emphasis on Local Economic Development (LED) and technical skills training to reduce informality and promote sustainable economic growth.
The proposed vocational training centres will build on the existing €130,000 Community Enterprise Resource Centre, which was funded by the European Union. The facilities will provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with engineering equipment for steel fabrication and woodworking, supporting value-added manufacturing.
Meanwhile, the planned farmers’ market will expand formal trading spaces, building on existing agricultural and retail activities around Glenwood Shopping Centre by providing secure and modern facilities with improved public health infrastructure.
Speaking during a briefing on the development strategy, Epworth Local Board Town Secretary, Dr Wilton Mhanda, said the board was committed to transforming the local economy.
“We are methodically executing a deliberate, non-negotiable transition to eradicate historic structural inefficiencies and catalyse high-yield corporate and private investment.”
Dr Mhanda added:
“By deploying robust capital assets through our master plan—such as the new farmers’ market, vocational institutions and strategic airport industrial links—we are actively transitioning our workforce from survivalist trading to industrial manufacturing. Epworth is no longer a passive satellite residential area; it is rapidly emerging as a competitive, self-sustaining urban centre with the legislative, physical and financial capacity to support modern commercial ventures.”
To support the planned industrial expansion and the proposed airport industrial zone, the local authority is undertaking road rehabilitation projects funded through the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
The works include road widening, shoulder stabilisation and the construction of stormwater drainage systems to improve transport links and facilitate business operations.
The council is also planning a high-capacity water treatment plant to improve water supply, while strengthening waste management through the installation of skip bins across commercial areas.
The local authority says these initiatives are intended to raise Epworth’s urban status by 2030, positioning it as a modern, inclusive and economically vibrant commercial hub capable of contributing significantly to national economic growth.
