Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve [email protected]
MATABELELAND North Province has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a transparent and efficient business environment where investors are not only welcome but can operate profitably, Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, has said.
Speaking at the Africa Chromium Week conference in Victoria Falls on Wednesday, Minister Moyo invited global mining players, urging them to look beyond Zimbabwe’s abundant mineral reserves to the Government’s determination to facilitate the ease of doing business.
“Our thrust is to create an environment where investors are not only welcomed but are able to operate efficiently, transparently, and profitably,” he said.
Minister Moyo emphasised the moral imperative attached to resource extraction.
“I want to remind delegates of the profound responsibility we carry to translate that wealth into sustainable prosperity for our people,” he said.
Minister Moyo further noted that the decision by the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA) to host its landmark event in Zimbabwe is a clear acknowledgment of Africa’s central role in shaping the global chromium industry.
“Distinguished guests, you are reminded of the extraordinary mineral wealth with which our province and nation is endowed, and the profound responsibility we carry to translate that wealth into sustainable prosperity for our people
“The decision by the International Chromium Development Association to convene this landmark event on African soil is a clear recognition of a fundamental reality: the future of the global chromium industry will, in large measure, be shaped here in Africa,” said Minister Moyo.
He specifically called for investments that extend across the entire value chain, from exploration and extraction to processing and beneficiation.
Matabeleland North province is particularly keen to attract projects that bring technology transfer, skills development, and tangible community upliftment, he added.
Minister Moyo highlighted that Matabeleland North remains richly endowed with chrome, gold, lithium, coal, and methane gas, much of which remains underexplored.
The province’s strategic location offers access to regional markets via Southern Africa’s key transport corridors.
“I wish to draw your attention to the vast and largely untapped opportunities in Matabeleland North Province, the province I have the honor to serve,” he said.
Matabeleland North has a long history of mining, hosting operations that date back decades.
The province is home to the renowned Hwange coal fields, which have historically powered Zimbabwe’s thermal electricity generation.
The region also has a storied past with the Kamativi Tin Mine, which operated for decades before closing in 1994 due to a collapse in international tin prices.
However, the mine has been successfully resuscitated under the Second Republic and now operates as a major lithium mine, attracting significant foreign direct investment.
Currently, the province is witnessing a surge in mining activity, with major projects including the multi-million dollar projects and the revitalization of coal mining in Binga.
A US$800 000 coal wash plant recently commissioned in Hwange underscores the growing emphasis on local beneficiation.
Minister Moyo said the province is ready to partner with investors who are committed to sustainable development, assuring them of policy clarity and full institutional support from the Government.
derick.khumalo