Online Reporter
ZIMBABWE is now saving US$500 million annually on the steel import bill as Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco) in Manhize area near Mvuma is now producing 9 000 tonnes of steel products per month.
Zimbabwe 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 Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade Cde Webster Shamu who toured the steel plant last week, were told that the company has now expanded its range of products hence it is now saving the country about US$500 million annually.
The wide range of steel products being produced by the company include pig iron, steel billets, hot wire rods, steel balls and deformed bars. Zimbabwe is fast regaining its status as a leading steel producer in the region and Disco’s target is to produce five million tonnes annually.
During the first phase, the company intends to produce 600 000 tonnes a year and then increase it to 1,2 million tonnes in phases two. The target for phase three is 3,2 million tonnes, which will be increased to five million tonnes in the final phase.
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 and indications are that Disco will soon be one of the giant steel producers in sub-Saharan Africa.
The revival of the steel industry is key to Zimbabwe’s modernisation and industrialisation.
Disco, which has so far created 2 000 direct jobs and has a potential to create 10 000 jobs when operating at full throttle, is already producing more than enough steel products to meet local demand hence it has started exporting to Zambia, South Africa and Malawi.
Most of the employees are locals from Manhize and surrounding areas.
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 has seen the steel producer recording zero fatalities since it started production four years ago.
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 at this juncture 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.
