Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Walter Nyamukondiwa in NGEZI
Platinum giant Zimplats is bringing to life President Mnangagwa’s vision of rural industrialisation and development of an integrated mining ecosystem by amplifying value addition and beneficiation towards a US$12 billion industry.
Through it’s US$1,8bn investment in setting up a Mineral Concentrator Plant in Turf, Mhondoro-Ngezi and other projects including a smelter, Zimplats, a subsidiary of Implats in South Africa is operationalising the President’s vision encapsulated in the National Development Strategy 1 blueprint and Vision 2030.
President Mnangagwa commissioned the concentrator plant represented by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando yesterday.
He also commissioned the Mine Support Solutions, which is expected to absorb the steel from Manhize Iron and Steel Plant and Ziscosteel when it becomes operational to make bolts, including mine safety roof bolts and specialised bars.
The company has the capacity to supply all the mining industry’s steel work requirements, including producing 150 000 bolts per month.
This is part of the company’s import substitution strategy while supporting the local ecosystem in the mining value chain.
In his speech, President Mnangagwa said, Zimplats’ astuteness in bringing to life Government’s vision through pervasive high impact projects, including the cattle project, whose roots are in mining but now have the potential to resuscitate the country’s diary industry were commendable.
The project has a potential to resuscitate the Dairibord Cheese Factory in Kadoma, which has been mothballed owing to a dearth in supply of quality milk.
“Reference is made to the cattle project and in particular if one looks at the ripple effects, or downstream effect of the cattle project, among others, is the resuscitation of the cheese factory in Kadoma, the export of cheese, the establishment of a tannery and the export of beef, all coming from mining activities,” said President Mnangagwa.
“One of the Local Enterprise Development (LED) being supported by Zimplats dealing with the roof support which will mean in time there won’t be any need for imports related to roof support as it will be produced locally.”
The projects are key in import substitution, have potential for exports and saving of foreign currency.
He said the coming on stream of Manhize Dinson Mine Steel Project at the end of the year, would feed specialized steel at the plant while the coke and ferrochrome form part of the mining ecosystem.
“As we have events like the one we have today and more in the future, including an additional expanded concentrator, the opening of a base metal refinery where we will have further value addition we then recognize that the vision conceptualised is coming into fruition,” he said.
The Zimplats board and shareholders have approved the release of US$1,4bn of the $1,8bn earmarked for the projects.
President Mnangagwa said as more investment continues to pour into the country’s mining sector, Zimbabwe was inching closer to the realisation of the Vision 2030 and NDS1 towards an upper middle-income economy.
“This event is a culmination of the determined effort by Government and Zimplats to ensure they get development to Zimbabwe. This concentrator plant is part of the $1,8bn investment vault. This plant represents a significant milestone in the value addition of our mineral resources to promote a sustainable mining industry,” said President Mnangagwa.
“As we all know value addition and beneficiation are very key to our economic development. They create jobs, increase exports and generate revenues for the government. Therefore, it is our duty as a nation to promote and support industries that add value to our natural resources.”
Zimplats’ plans to construct a base metal refinery, said President Mnangagwa, was a giant step forward in local mineral beneficiation and value addition towards full beneficiation of platinum in the country.
The company also intends to install a sulfuric acid plant able to produce more than 100 kilo-tonnes of sulfuric acid annually, which is key in the manufacturing of phosphate fertilizer for agriculture, eliminating the need to import acids.
Zimplats is also setting up a US$201 million 35MW solar plant to support mining and beneficiation facilities.
These projects will provide employment to more than 2 000 people.
Implats chairperson Mrs Tandi Orlein said the company was proud to invest in the country and would continue to look at opportunities to invest.
“The ongoing US$1,8bn expansion programme of which US$1,4bn has been approved by the Zimplats board and shareholders began last quarter of 2021,” said Mrs Orlein.
“Nearly 6 000 jobs will be created in the execution of this project, generating incomes at household level for several families in the country and substantial revenue flows to the fiscus.”
Some of the projects underway include a new and bigger smelter at the Selous Metallurgy Complex, a wet acid plant, a base metal refinery, a 185MW solar power plant at a cost of US$201m with Phase 1 producing 35MW slated for commissioning at the end of the month.
She said Zimplats did not just focus on mining development but also uplifting communities in the localities they operate adding that the company was committed to promoting an empowered community.
Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura, chiefs attended the event.