Chronicle Editor
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
COAL mining company South Mining on Friday donated 15 000 face masks to traditional leaders and members of the public in Hwange as corporates heed President Mnangagwa’s call to help fight against coronavirus.
Employees from the Chinese-owned coal processing company including management spent the better part of the day distributing face masks to residents at shopping centres and on the streets.
The company’s managing director, Mr Chenji Li, said as part of contributing towards the fight against the pandemic that has claimed many lives globally, the company was making efforts to contribute to the fight against the virus.
“We are trying to support the locals in fighting against Covid-19 by educating them and offering them protective masks when they are in high risk zones like shopping centres.
“In that regard we donated 15 000 face masks, of these 600 are kid masks that we are distributing to chiefs and our community. However, we encourage everyone to regularly wash his or her hands with soap and maintain social distancing at all costs.
“It is everyone’s duty to stop the spread of Covid-19, likewise South Mining as a community-based organisation is no exception hence our initiative of assisting our community to fight this world pandemic.
“We hope that other players in the industry will emulate and assist both the community and Government in stopping the spread of Covid-19,” said Mr Chenji.
The company also donated 600 gloves, three space suits, sanitisers and disinfectants among other items for distribution to St Patrick’s, Hwange Colliery Company Hospital and 5-Miles isolation centre.
“We have also donated 3 000 masks, 200 gloves, protective suits, mealie meal and labour at the isolation centres. We have some of our employees working to resuscitate the centres together with other stakeholders. South Mining was also one of the companies that played a part in the furnishing of Wilkins Hospital in Harare.”
Meanwhile, Hwange District Covid-19 Taskforce have appealed to stakeholders in the district to assist in furnishing the 5-Mile isolation centre.
Massive civil works are being undertaken at the identified facility which was intended to become a district hospital but structural defects halted construction several years back.
Briefing the Matabeleland North Taskforce led by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde Richard Moyo, the district taskforce chairperson, Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose said stakeholders’ support was needed to quickly make the facility operational.
“Currently there is some major civil works going on as the facility has been lying idle for years. There is still a lot of work to be done to bring the facility online and we have since distributed letters of request with bills of quantities.
“We are yet to get responses from some of the major players in the mining industry as we continue to appeal to stakeholders in the sector to chip in to protect our district,” said Mr Mdlalose.
He said the isolation centre which will have 16 beds requires US$8 000 and is expected to become operational in 18 days.
“The facility will have 16 beds each equally distributed among the male and female patients. US$8 000 or the equivalent in local currency is required from our projections it will take 18 days to bring it online. If we can be able to get funds to mobilise resources we can meet the set deadline.”
Hwange Colliery Company and Zimbabwe Zonghxin Coking Company each donated $50 000 towards the coronavirus campaign. The taskforce said the facility, which also requires electrification, needs medical equipment inclusive of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, medicines and protective gear.
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