Online Reporter
Zimbabwe has every reason to celebrate the developments taking place at Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco) in Manhize area near Mvuma, which is already saving the country a lot of foreign currency through import substitution.
Zimbabwe is fast regaining its status as a leading steel producer in the region as Disco has started producing pig iron, steel billets and finished products that include steel bars.
The country’s steel industry, which was adversely affected by the closure of the Redcliff- based Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (Zisco), is back on track.
The revival of the steel industry is key to Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation. The country has been spending an estimated US$1 billion annually on steel imports, which are mainly steel bars, which are now being produced by Disco.
The company is producing about 9 000 tonnes of steel products per month and has a target to produce 600 000 tonnes a year.
Disco is now producing 16mm, 20mm and 25mm bars, which are mostly used in the construction industry.
The company has said its target is to meet local demand for steel products thereby substituting imports and saving the country about US$1 billion annually. The company has already created 2 000 direct jobs and has a potential to create 10 000 jobs when operating at full throttle.
Most of the employees are locals from Manhize and surrounding areas. Vice President Kembo Mohadi who toured the massive steel plant on Monday, said the progress at Disco, which has been operating for just four years, was really tremendous. He said there is no reason to doubt that Zimbabwe will soon be a giant in steel production not only in the region, but in Africa.
What is very encouraging about Disco is that it is not only substituting imports but is also a leader in upholding high occupational health and safety standards that have seen the steel producer recording zero fatalities since its inception.
The company, a subsidiary of Chinese global investment group, Tsingshan Holdings, is one of the Second Republic’s signature projects that are transforming livelihoods.
The national Social Security Authority (Nssa) said for the past four years that Disco has been in operation, it has not recorded a single death at the workplace.
Nssa has commended Disco for upholding high occupational health and safety standards. What is obtaining at Disco should be emulated by other companies so that we reduce fatalities at the workplace.
We want to applaud Disco for not just creating thousands of jobs but also ensuring that its employees work under a conducive working environment. The company has invested a lot of resources in occupational health and safety hence it has recorded zero fatalities since it started operating.
Disco has demonstrated that it is possible to drastically reduce fatalities at the workplace and as already stated, other companies should learn from this giant steel producer.
