DRC appeals for more coal production at Hwange

Roberta Katunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Democratic Republic of Congo has appealed to Hwange Colliery Company to increase its coal production so as to improve its exports to the country as part of strengthening economic ties with Zimbabwe.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Harare International Carnival welcome reception held in Harare on Thursday, DRC Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mawampanga Mwana Nanga said although the two countries enjoy cordial political and diplomatic relations, the economic side needed to be worked on. DRC was Zimbabwe’s partner for this year’s edition of the HIC.

“We are working on our economic relations with Zimbabwe which are at the moment not as strong as we would like them to be. When DRC used to produce half a million tonnes of copper, the coal was coming from Hwange but now that we have increased our copper production to a million there is less coal from Hwange,” said Ambassador Mwana Nanga.

He said importing coal from Hwange Colliery Company was one of the ways that the two countries were supporting each other on the trade front and urged HCCL to increase its coal production to meet the demand from DRC as they had a thriving copper industry that was growing.

“Our biggest strength lies in mining and it is our wish to see all the coal we need coming from Hwange. It is rather unfortunate that right now when our copper production has doubled, the Colliery is exporting less to us,” he said.

According to HCCL, about 7 000 tonnes of coal were exported to DRC and the coal miner added that plans were underway to increase exports to DRC. DRC overtook Zambia in 2013 as the continent’s biggest producer of the red metal copper.

Ambassador Mwana Nanga added that DRC also imports agricultural products from Zimbabwe and that in the past the country also used to export power to Zimbabwe. He said they were working on improving their hydro-electricity industry so as to sell more power to Zimbabwe.

“We used to export power to Zimbabwe but had to ease on that as we are also facing challenges and cannot sustain ourselves. However, work is in progress on the hydro industry in DRC and soon we will resume sending power to Zimbabwe,” said Ambassador Mwana Nanga.

Meanwhile, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Deputy Minister Anastancia Ndhlovu said tourism was another way of extending the friendship between Zimbabwe and DRC. She said the Harare International Carnival had provided the essential platform to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries.

“To affirm their support for the carnival, the government of DRC brought into the country one of Africa’s finest Rhumba musicians, Koffi Olomide and the Lasonze Cultural Group,” she said.

On partnering Zimbabwe on the carnival, Ambassador Mwana Nanga said for them it was just like coming home.

“We are the same people and for us supporting the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is like helping our brothers. Our two countries have always given each other a helping hand, Zimbabwe once sent us their finest army to assist us and you have medical doctors from DRC at all central hospitals here. This is just deepening an already existent relationship,” he said.