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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Bulawayo Bureau
RUSSIAN conglomerate and world’s top diamond producer, Alrosa Mining, has contracted Titan Drilling International to carry out exploration operations for gold and diamonds in Tsholotsho District, Matabeleland North province.
Should the exploration results prove adequate mineral reserves for commercial exploitation, this could position Tsholotsho for a massive economic boom and higher contribution to national development.
For a district whose economy is mainly anchored on subsistence farming, diaspora remittances and wildlife tourism, the potential discovery of precious minerals could yield higher transformative impact.
Preliminary exploration drilling works are already underway at Mbalibali area under Chief Mahlathini and the contractor expects to submit samples for laboratory testing, which would determine business viability.
“We are doing exploratory work on behalf of a client, Alrosa Mining. Ours is to take samples and submit them for testing on behalf of the client. We are looking at gold and diamonds,” said Mr Patrick Butau, in a telephone interview on behalf of Titan Drilling International.
Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister, Dr Polite Kambamura, said the Government was awaiting the investor’s quarterly report.
“They submit quarterly reports to the ministry and this is a listed company for which we cannot prematurely herald their results,” he said.
Alrosa is a global group of diamond mining companies that specialize in exploration, mining, manufacture, and sale of diamonds. The company is one of the top investors keen on Zimbabwe having started conducting geological exploration in 2013 but dropped the licences it held in the country in 2016. It returned under the Second Republic in response to President Mnangagwa’s political and economic reforms.
The company was granted special grants by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate, which is in line with the Government’s strategy towards sustainable mining. The special grants are in Masvingo, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces.
In July this year, President Mnangagwa held a meeting with Alrosa executives during his two-day Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum trip. During the meeting, the company expressed satisfaction with the investment climate in the country under the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” drive as well as the engagement and re-engagement drive championed by President Mnangagwa. When our Bulawayo Bureau visited the site of drilling in the company of local traditional leaders on Tuesday, it noted that two exploration wells had been drilled, the first is 179,60m deep and according to the inscription, it was dug on September 6 while the second well is 220m deep and was dug on September 12.
The locals said the drilling company left the site recently and was now doing similar works at Tshefunye area further west.
Dingindawo village head, Mr Elijah Vundla, said while they have not been fully and formally briefed about the exploratory works in the area, they were looking forward to an economic boom if the tests come out positive.
He said the area will have massive infrastructural development while creating employment for the locals, particularly youths.
“Right now, we are struggling with the construction of a secondary school in the area and we are having perennial water problems for both our domestic animals and human consumption. So, if we are to have such an investment those challenges are likely to be a thing of the past,” said Mr Vundla.
Contacted for comment, Chief Mahlathini said he was hopeful for positive tests for the discovery of viable mineral deposits, which will be good news for the community.
“Full briefing is yet to be given by the relevant officials but such a development to occur in our district has a lot of advantages, the lives of our people will take a turn for the best,” he said.
“There will be employment and economic boom in the area, hoping obviously that there will be a deliberate bias towards prioritising employment of locals, so indeed, Tsholotsho may never be the same again.”
Tsholotsho was conferred with town board status by the Second Republic this year, setting the stage for massive economic and infrastructural development with the council immediately identifying land for commercial and residential expansion, which is hoped to offset part of the 1 070-housing waiting list.
Last year, the town board unveiled an ambitious 10-year expansion masterplan that covers a radius of 10 km where residential, commercial and industrial stands will be unveiled, which will also be part of the town’s resolution to contribute towards the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1). The plan will also usher in real development in the district, which still has no manufacturing industry or major supermarkets, this despite the area being endowed with natural resources such as timber, and game and may soon be home to gold and diamonds.
Online Reporter