Miners back Govt

07 Jun, 2019 - 00:06 0 Views
Miners back Govt Mr Isaac Kwesu

eBusiness Weekly

Business Writers
Zimbabwe’s gold and platinum producers in the country have committed themselves to partner Government towards revitalising the economy through meeting set production targets.

Government has set a target of 100 tonnes of gold output per year by 2023 and 50 tonnes of platinum per year by 2030.

The two sectors are the biggest contributors to exports, making up to 70 percent of the country’s production, according to the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines.

Speaking separately at the gold and platinum symposiums that were held as part of the Zimbabwe Annual Mining Conference in Victoria Falls recently, representatives of the two sectors said the set targets were achievable.

President Mnangagwa officially opened the high-level mining indaba last Friday.

Mining executives said they would commit all efforts towards meeting the target as long as there is co-operation towards a common goal.

Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) president Henrietta Rushwaya, said regularising and formalising the small-scale gold mining sector would greatly assist in boosting gold output in particular.

Gold producers committee chairman Thomas Gono, said 100 tonnes was not an illusion as long as all stakeholders worked together. Chairman of the Institute of Mining Research, Mr Lymen Mlambo, said there was a need to make the platinum sector competitive to achieve higher development goals.

The 100 tonnes per year achievable

Earlier during a media briefing, Chamber of Mines chief executive Isaac Kwesu, said there was consensus between gold and platinum sectors to buttress Government economic ideals.

“There is convergence of industry that the set targets are attainable. Players in the gold and platinum sectors have said they can play a part and concur with Government to say ‘let’s work together’, both the private and public sector towards achieving the country’s socio economic vision,” said Kwesu.

He said it was encouraging that both the chamber and players in the industry were reading from the same book.

Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando, said plans were underway for an indaba between Government and the mining industry in July this year to deliberate on all issues raised.

He said the indaba will help redesign the mining industry.

However, there is growing concern about recurrent power cuts, which the industry said will negatively affect production as mining activities require no less than 10 hours of continuous power at any given time. The recent load shedding schedule leaves miners with three days power and four days blackout per week.

Kwesu said the role the energy sector plays in mining cannot be undermined, adding that engagements were underway with the power utility for a win-win situation.

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