Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
President Mnangagwa on Thursday commissioned a new Vertical Mill Plant at Khayah Cement Limited’s Phase Two of the company’s expansion project, a development that is expected to increase the firm’s production output and boost the cement industry.
Khayah Cement Limited formerly traded as Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe and changed its name early this year, following the acquisition of the major shareholding by a local investment consortium.
The development comes at a time the Second Republic continues to register more milestones in attaining Vision 2030, while the new plant will also result in low production costs thereby making cement and other related products affordable as Government’s economic blueprint National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) continues to bear fruit.
Delivering his keynote address, President Mnangagwa commended Khayah Cement for playing a critical part in the ongoing boom of construction programmes.
“The commissioning of this new Vertical Mill Plant shows the commitment by Khayah Cement Limited, as we journey towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030. Since 2021, this company has demonstrated renewed determination to be one of the leaders in complementing the ongoing infrastructural development projects.
“In the area of infrastructural development, the Second Republic is rolling out programmes and projects to upgrade and modernise the country’s infrastructure,” said the President.
“I commend Khayah Cement for playing a critical part, including supplying cement to the ongoing boom of construction programmes such as road rehabilitation, dam construction, energy infrastructure development and housing projects, being undertaken by both the public and private sectors.”
He commended the consortium for injecting about US$14 million to operationalise the plantand their commitment to ensure sustainable exploitation, beneficiation, and value addition of the limestone rock is in sync with Government’s exhortations.
President Mnangagwa said this was augmented by the adoption of new technologies for increasing production efficiencies, with the potential to raise the company’s cement production capacity from 350 000 to 1 million tons per annum, against an average national demand of 1.4 million tons.
In line with the Government’s ongoing development that leaves no one and no place behind, he challenged the company to deliberately make their products available, at competitive prices in rural areas.
“The successes we have scored in the agriculture and small-scale mining sectors, among others, must translate to an improved quality of housing and business infrastructure in our communal, farming and mining areas.”
President Mnangagwa said the measures implemented by the Second Republic have consistently created an enabling business environment, making Zimbabwe an easier and more competitive place to do business.
A vertical cement mill is a type of grinder used to grind material into extremely fine powder and is an energy-efficient plant.
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