HARARE - Malawi President Joyce Banda has heaped praise on President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace’s Gushungo Dairy Estates, saying the First Couple was doing a wonderful job creating employment.

Addressing the media in Mazowe yesterday after touring the estate, which also houses a state- -of-the-art dairy products processing plant — Alpha Omega Dairy — Banda said the first family’s project was the panacea to Africa’s poverty woes.

The estate has 500 dairy cows that produce an average of 12 500 litres of milk daily.

The visiting Malawian leader also toured the Amai Mugabe Children’s Foundation that takes care of 49 children and the adjacent Amai Mugabe Junior School, both owned and run by Grace.

“If Africa is going to prosper, it means putting money into the households especially the poor households.

“We need to create jobs for our people and let me say I am impressed to see a purely Zimbabwean dairy factory doing well and creating employment for Zimbabweans.

“I am also greatly inspired by what Madam Mugabe is doing for disadvantaged children because if God has blessed us, we need to help others in need,” she said.

Grace launched Alpha Omega Dairy in July 2012 to process milk from the couple’s dairy farm.

The move could have been inspired by Swiss food giant firm Nestle’s refusal to buy milk from Gushungo Dairy Estate.

Banda will officially open the 54th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo today. - Mugove Tafirenyika