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Mukudzei Chingwere, [email protected]
CABINET has approved the Minerals Value Chain – from mining to beneficiation, industrialisation, and exportation – framework, designed to maximise national earnings while building a vibrant downstream minerals industry that will create thousands of jobs.
This was announced by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Zhemu Soda, following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Minister Soda said the approval came after a presentation by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga of the framework, which aims to shift Zimbabwe away from exporting raw minerals and towards becoming a globally competitive minerals-based industrial manufacturing hub.
“Cabinet received and approved the Minerals Value Chain: From Mining to Beneficiation, Industrialisation and Exportation framework as presented by Honourable Vice President Gen. (Rtd.) Dr C.G.D.N. Chiwenga,” said Minister Soda.
“Cabinet has adopted a robust framework aimed at transitioning Zimbabwe from a primary resource extraction and exportation entity to a globally competitive minerals-based industrial manufacturing hub.
“The framework seeks, inter alia, to protect the national interest by closing the leakages that have perennially prejudiced the country of huge earnings from its vast mineral wealth,” said Minister Soda.
Minister Soda said under the approved programme, Cabinet adopted a robust approach anchored on four main pillars, each targeting a different stage of the minerals value chain – from mining through processing, industrialisation, and export.
The four pillars are mineral-specific standards and value-added compliance, national analytical laboratories and scientific oversight, a mine-to-market smart tracking system, as well as integrated special economic zones for downstream growth.
“It specifies the new mandatory requirements for a value-added compliance certificate for any export permit to be issued,” said Minister Soda.
“National minerals research and analytical scientific laboratory infrastructure pillar under which Government will end the costly and risky reliance on foreign laboratories for mineral certification through the decentralised network of specialised analytical hubs co-located at national universities/scientific institutions, with each institution serving as a dedicated referee for specific mineral clusters within the region.”
The framework will be implemented through a decentralised network of specialised analytical hubs located with national universities and scientific institutions, with each institution serving as a dedicated referee for mineral clusters. Among the proposed anchor roles are the National Mineral Research Centre at the University of Zimbabwe as the apex hub covering minerals including lithium, rare earth elements and uranium.
The National University of Science and Technology and Great Zimbabwe University will anchor Platinum Group of Minerals and battery minerals. Midlands State University focuses on iron ore, chrome and vanadium corridors.
On the other hand, Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences will be specialising in the national diamond and gemmology suite. Chinhoyi University of Technology and Bindura University of Science Education, focusing on industrial minerals, phosphates and graphite.
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Gwanda State University will, on its part, be supporting Matabeleland South Province on geology beneficiation for artisanal and small-scale miners. The Zimbabwe School of Mines serves as an integrated core hub for specialised training.
The third pillar focuses on a mine-to-market operational control system, which will use secure, real-time tracking to prevent leakages and fraud.
The system is designed to provide an end-to-end audit trail, tracking every consignment from the point of extraction to the final port of exit -promoting transparency and protecting national value.
“This is meant to secure value by stopping under-declaration, tampering and illegal diversion at every stage of the export pipeline,” said Dr Soda.
The fourth pillar centres on integrated special economic zones, which will support both new and existing beneficiation and industrialisation ventures.
Dr Soda said new investors will be directed to specialised regional hubs, where they can share infrastructure and scale operations efficiently, for example, the Northern Battery Minerals Hub and Midlands Metallurgical Zones.
Cabinet also approved eight regional mineral beneficiation Special Economic Zones/Hubs, strategically positioned to transform Zimbabwe’s provinces through value addition and industrial development.
“The four pillars shall be supported by key enablers including reliable energy and affordable power supply, energy self-generation incentives for beneficiation projects and environmental, social and governance initiatives,” said Minister Soda.
“Other initiatives include strengthening the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to undertake the added responsibilities.
“Cabinet also approved a robust and consolidated legal framework which will operationalise the mineral value chain,” said Minister Soda.
Online Reporter