Story by Bruce Chahwanda
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged mining companies to adhere to agreed road maps towards the establishment of metal refineries and manufacturing of finished goods.
He was speaking at the commissioning of Spodumene and Petalite Plants at Bikita Minerals this Wednesday.
Statutory Instruments have been gazetted to ensure mining firms embark on value addition processes and President Mnangagwa believes more will be achieved if construction of the Mapinga Mines to Energy Industrial Park is expedited.
“The completion of the Mapinga Mines to Energy Industrial Park should be expedited. The increased beneficiation of our abundant natural resource endowment does not only relate to players in the lithium sector but across the entire mineral value chain.
“I challenge all mining houses to adhere to agreed roadmaps to enable the establishment of more precious metal refineries and the local manufacturing of finished goods from our vast minerals. This has become urgent, given the need to de-risk our mining sector from global shocks and mineral price volatility,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said fruits of value addition and beneficiation are being realised in the platinum value chain as companies are complying with government policies.
“In platinum, The Second Republic gave mining companies a timeframe to start constructing a processing plant or to stop operations. They didn’t go and they obliged, now they are doing beneficiation locally,” he said.
The head of state noted that synergies between mining firms and institutions of higher learning should continue for future skills requirements.
“Present training must be sharpened for graduates and artisans while knowledge transfer from diverse disciplines should be earnestly pursued. The development of innovations and inventions which improve production processes and support end-to-end value creation should remain key focus areas of the industry.
“Finally, I challenge all players in business, industry and commerce in general, and the mining sector in particular to undertake their operations with the highest ethical standards, professionalism, honesty and integrity. Corruption of any kind will never be condoned by my government and the law will apply without fear or favour.
“The over-arching need to grow ‘the bottom line’ must never be at the expense of the laws of the country or the well-being of our people who must see transformative changes to their quality of life as a result of our country’s rich and numerous resources. Let us, therefore, always seek to realize sustainable prosperity that benefits all Zimbabweans,” he said.
Economic experts contend the mining sector is critical in the transformation of the country’s economy, hence accelerated value addition and beneficiation of minerals will result in increased revenue for the fiscus.
