Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has applauded the mining industry for remaining resilient despite the effects of COVID-19, and for achieving remarkable growth between 2017 and 2021.
Speaking at the inaugural mining industry sector awards at State House last night, the President said the notable growth in the mining sector should cascade to other associated downstream and upstream industries.
“Despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe’s mining sector has remained resilient. Without doubt, mining companies have managed to weather the storm and demonstrated excellence in several facets of their operations. In this regard the mining sector has grown from US$2.7 billion in 2017 to US$3.5 billion in 2020 and subsequently registering a phenomenal performance of around US$5.2 billion in 2021,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa added that the mining sector had what it takes to accelerate the realisation of the US$12 billion milestone by 2023 and said this must be premised on the reopening of closed mines, expansion of existing mines, opening of new mines and investment in beneficiation facilities, among others.
Furthermore, President Mnangagwa said the Government was in the process of rolling out a computerised mining cadastre system to eliminate mining disputes and avail mining information online. He complained that the amendment of the Mines and Minerals Act had taken too long and said that the delay was against the Second Republic’s expectations and work ethic.
The President commended some players in the mining sector for the outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. He challenged other mining companies to complement Government efforts in the development of communities where they operate from through implementing empowering Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
Meanwhile, twenty-one (21) mining companies were honoured for their contribution to the mining sector. These companies included How Mine, which won the Most Improved Producer of the Year Award and Freda Rebecca, which was awarded the Best Gold Producer of the Year price.
