It’s desperate times in Zimbabwe, where tribal chiefs have performed traditional rituals that included brewing opaque beer in the hope of reviving a once-thriving steel mill.
Ziscosteel the state-run steel producer, which fell into disrepair years ago, needs investments of up to US$1 billion to return to its best production levels.
Increasingly Zimbabwe authorities have moved from “voodoo economics” to the reliance on their traditional beliefs.
On Friday chiefs from the Midlands province thronged the Ziscosteel plant in Redcliff, where they performed traditional rituals associated with asking ancestors for good fortune.
The Chronicle newspaper reports that the rituals involved the brewing of traditional opaque beer and drum beating as well as dancing.
Ziscosteel says the Expression of Interest it floated has since been extended to the end of June “due to increased interest”.
Patricia Muzenda, Ziscosteel PR Manager, was quoted as saying: “We are a nation with our own beliefs and as a company, we just had to comply with the request by the chiefs so that they can perform their rituals”.
She said it was not the first time that such rituals were held at the company.
Chief Weight Gwesela said: “As Zimbabweans, we believe in dedicating everything we do to our ancestors”.
Adding weight to his beliefs, Chief Gwesela said: “The event was for us to plead with our ancestors to watch over operations at the company.
“Remember this company deals with minerals and our ancestors watch over the minerals.”
Chiefs, Mupamombe, Malisa, Chiundura, Gambiza, and Kazangarare, as well as officials from the Kwekwe district development office, took part in the traditional rituals.
Ziscosteel was shut down in 2008 two years after a parliamentary inquiry established that there was “plunder and looting” at the company by senior Zanu-PF officials.
At the time of its closure, Ziscosteel had a debt of US $300-million.
Previous efforts to revive the massive steel manufacturer, which at its peak employed more than 5 000 people, have failed dismally.
