Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
MATABELELAND North province is geared to contribute more to the country’s development agenda through leveraging on exploitation of its diverse natural resources.
The province is already recording an increase in new coal mining and coke production projects, electricity generation and tourism projects.
Home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mighty Victoria Falls, the province also boasts of several wildlife species.
Mining is expected to contribute significantly to the attainment of the Second Republic’s vision 2030.
Speaking at the annual Chamber of Mines Conference, which was officially opened by President Mnangagwa yesterday, Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Richard Moyo, said the province was proud to be endowed with a lot of mineral resources including gold, coal, coal bed methane gas (CBM), tin and lithium among others.
“Our beautiful province plays an important role in national economic development, particularly in the tourism and mining sectors,” he said.
“As we all know, mineral resources are one of the key economic drivers in this country, underlining the importance of this gathering. With all these mineral endowments, Matabeleland North Province is surely geared to contribute significantly to the mining sector’s milestone of a US$12 billion mining sector by 2023 and ultimately to the national vision of Zimbabwe becoming an upper middle-income country by 2030,” said Minister Moyo.
He said the province expects the mining sector to contribute significantly to its economic growth.
“As we work towards devolution of resources and governance as a development strategy enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe, it is also my belief that mining will take a leading role in the development of Matabeleland North. We are glad that as a province we are witnessing a booming mining sector as most projects in our province are expanding operations and new projects are coming up,” said Minister Moyo.
He said it was pleasing to note that there are more companies investing in coke oven batteries thereby value adding coal.
Several gold mines are operating in Bubi District while new coal mines have been opened in Binga and Hwange districts.
Some of the major mining projects in the province include Hwange Colliery Company, Dinson Colliery, Western Areas, South Mining, Zambezi Gas and Zimbabwe Zhongxin Coking Company (ZZCC), among others.
The coal industry produced about 280 000 tonnes of coal last year and production is expected to increase to two million tonnes next year and five million tonnes in 2025.
Minister Moyo said the Chamber of Mines conference, which started on Thursday and ended yesterday, was testimony to the good working relationship between Government and the private sector.
He said the mining projects were creating jobs for local communities and also contributing to infrastructure development.
“We still expect more benefits in our communities from the projects through corporate social responsibility programmes.
“Going forward and inspired by the principle of devolution, as a province, we are going an extra mile in ensuring that our province is developed using our resources,” said Minister Moyo.
He said the province will take a keen interest in the successful development of the mining sector.
The conference was held under the theme “Consolidating Growth Drivers for the Mining Industry.”
Chamber of Mines president Mr Collin Chibafa said the sector will continue to respond to the country’s needs by ramping up production and supporting Government vision of value addition. – @ncubeleon.
Online Reporter