Online Reporter
Joseph Madzimure
Zimpapers Politics Hub
NEWLY-APPOINTED Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura has pledged to restore order in the mining sector for the benefit of communities and the nation.
The minister was sworn in at State House yesterday by President Mnangagwa.
Vice President Dr Costantino Chiwenga and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi were in attendance.
In an interview, Dr Kambamura laid out a comprehensive work plan emphasising the need for adherence to Government principles and ensuring that local communities reap the rewards of mineral resources in their regions.
“We are going to focus on tying our legislation on exports of minerals so that people do not continue to smuggle those minerals,” he said.
“So, we are going to tie that down, so that we get maximum export receipts for the benefit of our families and nation.”
The minister said he intended to increase export receipts through in-country, secondary and tertiary beneficiation.
Recognising the environmental challenges inherent in mining, Dr Kambamura said he will propose the creation of an Environment Department within the Ministry of Mines.
This department will focus on conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for mining companies, ensuring that environmental considerations are prioritised.
“Considering the complexity and the destructive nature of mining, it is time that we put an Environment Department in the Ministry, so that issues to do with Environmental Impact Assessment for mining companies are done from the Ministry of Mines,” he explained, highlighting the importance of engaging experts familiar with mining-related environmental issues.
In addition to environmental considerations, the new Minister reiterated the importance of innovation and technology in the mining sector.
“We will introduce technology in the mining sector,” he said.
This includes smart mining practices, drone surveillance, and the use of geological information systems for environmental monitoring across the country.
Dr Kambamura also addressed the pressing issue of youth unemployment in the mining industry.
He announced plans to make it mandatory for mining companies to absorb students on attachment, a move aimed at providing practical experience for graduates.
“Currently, I think you are aware that a lot of graduates or our undergraduates are not finding attachment,” he said.
“We will make it mandatory that mining companies have absorbed students on attachment. In that pillar, we are also going to frame up on skills and knowledge transfer for people.”
Regarding investment in the mining sector, Dr Kambamura stressed the importance of attracting quality investors who respect local communities and abide by the nation’s laws. “It’s time we scrutinise who is coming to invest in the country,” he stated.
“The President said ‘Zimbabwe is open for Business’, but some people have taken that to mean otherwise.
“So, we want quality investors who come respecting the laws of the country, respecting the communities in which they are investing, and consulting with the communities prior to mining and pegging,” he said.
Dr Kambamura also emphasised the need for a structured approach within the Ministry, which will be organised into several pillars.
One of these is a social investment focus aimed at ensuring that communities benefit from the resources extracted in their areas.
“We are going to make sure that our people benefit from their God-given resources,” he affirmed.
The mining sector will transition from corporate social responsibility to corporate investment, ensuring ongoing benefits for communities even after mines close.
“In most cases when the mine closes, the communities do not benefit,” he added.
Dr Kambamura also intends to introduce an economic pillar within the Ministry, where he will focus on restructuring processes, including the cadastral system and intensive mineral exploration.
“We will also be doing aero-magnetic surveys, so that we will be able to quantify our mineral reserves and the resources across the whole country,” he said.
“This way, when investors come, we can negotiate corporate deals on reserves that we know.”
Before his appointment, Dr Kambamura served as the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Mines.
Now he takes over from former Minister Winston Chitando, who was relieved of his duties earlier this week.
He is Member of Parliament for Sanyati.
Dr Kambamura was first appointed Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development in 2018 and was reappointed in September 2023.
He holds a PhD in Mining Engineering (2021), a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Mining Engineering. He is presently pursuing a second PhD in Entrepreneurship and Business Sciences at Chinhoyi University of Technology.
This year, he graduated from Bindura University of Science Education with a Master’s Degree in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sustainability, where he was recognised as the Best Graduating Student and received the Vice Chancellor’s Prize.
Can someone tells us what is going on in the Mining industry? The industry rapidly achieved its target of $12 billion industry by 2030 in 2024, a spectacular feat that led to the re appointment of Cde Chitando back to the Mining Ministry. Within a few short years he is fired and his deputy takes over. The new Minister comes up with ambitious plans that make the Ministry look like it was operating like a backyard garden before. Truly, this new Minister was the deputy for a very long time and I want to believe he was working in unison with the previous Minister. Suddenly after being promoted he tables very elaborate and ambitious plans for the ministry. Why was he not proposing all these when he was deputy? It seems there was something unsavory between the former Minister and the new Minister. A case of back stabbing I guess?