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Zvamaida Murwira
Senior Reporter
Cabinet yesterday set up a seven-member Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate with a Chinese mining firm, which will develop an iron ore mine and carbon steel plant in Zimbabwe as the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa seeks to give impetus to the attainment of a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023.
The Chinese mining firm, Tsingshan Consolidated which has been in the country exploring other mining activities, is a global player of repute ranked 329 on the global 500 fortune companies index.
The decision to constitute an Inter-ministerial committee was announced yesterday by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa while addressing a post-Cabinet briefing in Harare.
“Cabinet has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate the Tsingshan Consolidated Mining Project. The Ministries in the Committee are:- Ministry of Mines and Mining Development whose Permanent Secretary will chair,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Also included are Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; and Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet received an update on the Tsingshan Consolidated Mining and Value Addition project which will significantly contribute towards achievement of the US$12 billion Mining industry milestone by 2023.
The company has been in the country for a decade first in Selous, then Hwange and now working in Mvuma, said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Cabinet was advised that:- since the signing of an MOU in 2018, Tsingshan had completed two high carbon ferrochrome furnaces in Selous, in April 2021; and completed the construction of a 150 000 tonne coke battery in the Hwange in April 2021.
“In May 2021 the company had commenced construction of an additional 150 000 tonne coke battery,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“Tsingshan will in November 2021 commence construction of a third coke battery and a power station in Hwange area. A ground breaking ceremony for the iron ore mine as well as a Carbon Steel Plant will be held in July at Manhize, Mvuma.”
Tsingshan signed a $1 billion outline agreement with Zimbabwe in June 2018 to build a two-million-tonne-a-year steel plant and has been carrying out exploration work. China has over the past few years emerged as a major foreign investor in Zimbabwe.
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