Zimbabwe’s sole glass manufacturer, Zimglass, is set to resume operations in April 2012 after the company secured funding to refurbish its furnaces.
The Gweru-based firm shut down operations in September 2011, leaving 472 permanent employees and 100 contract workers unemployed. The company had battled to secure funds to resuscitate operations due to the liquidity crisis rattling the country’s economy.
However, the Industrial Development Corporation, its parent company, has succeeded in courting investors to inject $7 million into the glass manufacturer to refurbish its furnaces. ??“After a protracted process of raising funds for the furnace rebuilding and refurbishment of plant and equipment, the company should resume production in April 2012. The commissioning of the furnace takes approximately two weeks, allowing for all the fine-tuning and glass conditioning to be completed,” said Jacob Dube, Managing Director.