Ward 5 is seeing fresh activity this week as basic road repairs get underway on Falcon and Wanderer Street in the Belmont Industrial Area. The works form part of a broader push to reposition the sprawling ward as a catalyst for the city’s economic renewal.

Ward 5 covers significant ground. It stretches from Famona at 23rd Avenue through parts of Burnside, across to Tshabalala Extension near Chicken Corner, and includes sections of Donnington and Belmont Industrial. That reach gives it a unique role in Bulawayo’s future.

Councillor Nkomo said the current repairs are only one piece of a bigger picture.

“We cannot return to the old economic models of the 60s. We need to re-imagine the city in the context of its current competitive advantages and emerging global realities,” Councillor Nkomo said.

He noted that the City of Bulawayo is providing leadership through proposed Local Development Plans that aim to bring fresh impetus and energy to this drive.

Two key corridors anchor Ward 5’s potential. The Matopos Road corridor is home to more than 50 hotels and lodges en route to Matopos National Park, an international tourist destination.

The corridor already offers comfortable, top-end accommodation for local and international tourists. Meanwhile, the Plumtree Road corridor has been earmarked in the City’s Town Planning road map and master plan as the cradle of an industrial and economic renaissance.

Major infrastructure is also in the pipeline. The Old Gwanda Road rehabilitation project is set to proceed under a Build Own Transfer model.

It is expected to make a significant contribution to the infrastructural development footprint of Ward 5 and the entire city.

According to Councillor Nkomo, Ward 5 is uniquely positioned to drive local economic development by unlocking both downstream and upstream opportunities for residents and corporates.

“Infrastructural projects are a low hanging economic opportunity for unemployed youths in the ward,” he added.

With its mix of industry, tourism linkages, and planned upgrades, Ward 5 is being positioned as a driver of Bulawayo’s shift toward a smart, sustainable city.