Andrew
Nelson Gahadza
Government has implored mining companies to consider investing in housing for their employees as an empowerment initiative that will contribute to the Second Republic’s vision on housing.
In 2021, President Mnangagwa launched the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy (ZNHSP), which feeds into the National Vision 2030 that is aimed at driving the economy “Towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Economy by the year 2030”.
President Mnangagwa noted that inclusive self-sustainable cities and human settlements are encouraged, in accordance with the national aspirations articulated by Vision 2030, as well as the African Union Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable Development Goals relating to housing and shelter.
The country is believed to have a deficit of more than 1,2 million in housing units.
Mashonaland West Provincial and Devolution Minister Marry Mliswa-Chikoka last week said the province’s existing and upcoming mines should consider housing as an empowerment initiative for employees and the communities.
She spoke during a tour of Pickstone Peerless Mine in Chegutu
“President Mnangagwa’s vision of an empowered society also implies owning houses. The mine should look at this as empowerment to its employees and this will support the communities,” she said.
Cde Mliswa-Chikoka said President Mnangagwa is always encouraging the nation that housing issues should be taken seriously so that it feeds into the leaving no one and no place behind mantra.
“Housing investment such as the one by Zimplats, which built houses in Turf town, whose residents are Zimplats employees, supports the aspirations of Vision 2030,” she said.
“If the mines create an environment like Turf town built by Zimplats, they would empower the employees.
“You will help alleviate the problem of housing and contribute to the aspirations of Vision 2030 of becoming homeowners,” she said.
Some mining companies, including Pickstone Peerless, use the bussing system, ferrying workers on a daily basis from villages and towns.
Zimplats Turf town is located in Mhondoro-Ngezi, southeast of Mashonaland West. In addition to Government departments, the town has banks, restaurants, hotels and supermarkets, among other service providers.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said this gives the workers confidence in working there and the company will be able to keep employees at work.
“This feeds into issues of housing in the country and in the long run, it will be cheaper for the companies because, as Government, we will bring our departments and services within the mining towns,” she said.
During the same tour, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said, in addition to housing, the mines should invest in roads infrastructure, which is beneficial to the companies and the communities.
“As mining companies, you cannot keep on grading the roads each time; tarred roads are a long-term investment and something that is permanent,” he said.
He noted that upcoming projects such as the Karo Platinum Mine and Bravura Consortium, among others, should consider accommodation for their workers.
Economist Clemence Machadu said minerals are a finite resource and their extraction should be complemented by a concrete plan to sustain the livelihoods of people in those communities when the resources have been exhausted.
He said the country’s Constitution, in Section 73(1b) iii, requires the State to take measures that “secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting economic and social development”.
“Mining companies should go beyond just providing housing to employees, because after the mineral resources are exhausted, people who live in those houses will still need sustainable incomes for their livelihoods to thrive.
“It is, therefore, my view that, before venturing into any mining endeavour, the mining companies and Government should have concrete plans in place on specific and diversified economic activities to undertake for their employees to sustain the livelihoods of local people beyond mining, and those activities should start to be implemented well in time.
“Those sustainable economic activities are necessary to avoid ghost towns and economic exclusion of people in mining towns when mineral activities are over,” he said.
He added that it is imperative for the Government to foster developmental projects such as agriculture, universities, manufacturing firms, stadiums, hospitals and dams, among others, in those areas, to ensure that these activities can contribute to the economy while also sustaining livelihoods for the local people.
“Such projects should not be pursued as corporate social responsibility programmes, but as mandatory priority projects,” he said.
According to Pickstone Mine general manager Alfred Madowe, the mine has 400 employees and the US$18 million underground project will create an additional 400 new jobs.
Karo Mine, which has commenced construction works, will have direct employment of 1 000 staff, and an estimated additional 7 000 indirectly.
According to the Chamber of Mines Zimbabwe, mining companies are expected to create over 4 000 new jobs in 2023 on the back of US$1 billion capital expenditure programmes in the sector.
The projected growth represents a 9 percent increase in new formal employment from the nearly 45 000 workers employed in the sector presently.
Online Reporter