Featured pic: Chief Shindi

EnviroPress Reporter

Having realized that many communities in the country were playing second fiddle when it comes to the extractive natural resources, the government has approved the granting of mining titles to traditional leaders so as to benefit their local communities.

The mining industry is one of the country’s economic cornerstones with the sector contributing about 70 percent of the country’s foreign currency earnings.

Cabinet on Tuesday considered the update on Sundry Initiatives towards a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023 as presented by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Wiston Chitando.

In a post-Cabinet briefing, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said following the boom in the mining sector, Government has seen it fit to broaden participation of communities in the sector.

“To that end, Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that it granted the request by the following traditional leaders to acquire mining titles in reserved areas for the benefit of their communities Tefra Mining Syndicate (Chief Marange); Goromonzi Mining Trust (Three Chiefs Rusike, Chinamora, Chikwaka); Chinamhora Mining Syndicate (Chief Chinamhora); Chiwara Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiwara); Bere SP Mining Syndicate (Chief Bere); and Budiriro Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiweshe). Cabinet further granted the request by war veterans for mining titles,” said Mutsvangwa.

She said Cabinet also approved the applications to correct technical anomalies in some mining syndicates. Minister Mutsvangwa said the applications to optimize current operations were also approved to Inglehart Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd Jubilee Mine); Scarfbrook Services (Pvt Ltd); Dorcas Mining Syndicate; Moral Capital Zimbabwe (Pvt Ltd); Exodus and Company and Premier Portland Cement, Zimbabwe.

She said Cabinet approved a proposal through which part of the Mashava Reservations held by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will be allocated to 11 syndicates.

“These syndicates will be from each of the eight administrative districts of Masvingo Province with three other syndicates being solely for youth, war veterans and women to supply chrome ores to Zimbabwe Zhongxin Smelting Company (ZZSC).

“The company is a new ferrochrome smelting project based in Mashava, Masvingo Province with capacity to generate about US$88 million and create 200 jobs locally,” said Mutsvangwa.

In terms of chrome, Mutsvangwa said there was going to be exemption on the ban of export of chrome ores by the concerned companies.

In April 2021, the Government banned the export of lumpy chrome ores with immediate effect and export of chrome concentrates effective from July 2022.

“With the technology currently in use on most of the furnaces in the country, unless the concentrates undergo an agglomeration process, there is a limit to the extent to which they can be utilised in the furnaces.

The rationale for banning the export of ores and concentrates was for companies to invest in the requisite facilities to value-add to ferrochrome. This policy still stands, and companies have started the process of constructing smelting furnaces.

“To enable these companies to raise the necessary capital, Cabinet has approved recommendations by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development for the exemption on the ban of export of chrome ores by the concerned companies, in order to complete the construction and expansion of furnace and processing facilities,” said Mutsvangwa.

This project was made possible through a partnership with the Southern Africa Trust. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent that of the Trust or its associates. www.southernafricatrust.org