Source: Need to empower vulnerable groups in construction sector: ZBCA | Sunday News (Business)
Judith Phiri
Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Building Contractors Association (ZBCA) has said it is on a mission to promote the inclusivity of vulnerable groups including youths, women and those living with disability, for them to also play a critical role in finding lasting solutions in the construction industry.
ZBCA is a non-profit national organisation formed in 1985 with a mandate to represent building contractors in the categories of building and civil work, electrical, mechanical,and structural steel engineering fields.
Speaking at a ZBCA cocktail event that was held on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) on Thursday in Bulawayo, ZBCA president, Dr Engineer Christopher Mawere said they were advocating for equity.“Our mission is to promote, empower and capacitate a growing membership and advocate for equity in the construction and allied industries. Observing that there are youths, women and those living with disability, they desire to be a part of finding lasting solutions in the construction industry,” he said.
“The purpose of the association is to ensure that its members uphold the observance of the highest standards of workmanship in the construction business as Zimbabwe strives to be a prosperous and empowered middle-income economy State by 2030.”
He said they were working towards being the leading business member organisation in the built environment within the region, while as a business member, they strive to be competitive not just regionally but globally.
Dr Mawere said as an association that is married to values that distinguish it from any other associations, its goal was to uphold honesty and integrity, corporate social responsibility, safety and environmental concern, fairness, teamwork, professionalism, accountability and quality assurance.
“The construction industry is doing very well, especially since the Government has taken a new dimension in building the country and as ZBCA we have taken advantage of the Government support where we are saying let’s take part as an association,” he said.
Last year in August, ZBCA opened a Matabeleland regional office and vowed that its members stand ready to contribute towards infrastructural projects in the country.Dr Mawere said the office was a milestone for the association and the construction industry at large.
“We have got a service buy-in to the new trajectory where we are saying we want to put a footprint across the southern region because we did that in other regions. In the southern region, we are seeing enormous activities in infrastructure development,” he said.
The regional office sought to increase the representation of its members who also include supplier and service providers in the building and construction industry.
ZBCA is also providing mentorship and grooming of construction players including women and youths, so that they become eligible to participate in Government tenders.
Robust infrastructure development is at the heart of the Second Republic’s economic transformation agenda, in line with the country’s vision to achieve an upper middle-income status by 2030.
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