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Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday had an hectic schedule when he officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony of the US$130 million lithium mining project with capacity to produce 300 000 tonnes per year before addressing thousands of ZANU PF supporters gathered at Mkwase Primary School.
The Sabi Star Mine project is being spearheaded by Max Mind (Zimbabwe) Private Limited, and will upon completion employ 900 people.
President Mnangagwa said the project will set the country on an irreversible path of economic growth and development.
Max Mind (Zimbabwe) Pvt Ltd has so far injected more than US$22 million, and by July 2023, it would have sunk another US$108 million into the project, a feat that apart from improving both the district and provincial Gross Domestic Products, will also generate the much-needed foreign currency as well as feed into the Mine to Energy Power Park in Mapinga.
Sabi Star Mine has acquired 55 mining claims straddling 3 800 hectares.
“The acquisition by Maxi Mind (Zimbabwe) of the Sabi Star lithium claims in September 2021 was the first in a series of deals by investors from the People’s Republic of China and United Kingdom. The investment of about US$130m by Maxi Mind (Zimbabwe) is most welcome and will go a long way towards our quest to establish vibrant lithium mining and value chain industries in our country.
“This project, among others, will further give impetus to the overall modernisation, industrialisation and growth of our economy. Government invites more investors to take up opportunities that abound in the exploration, extraction and beneficiation of our gold, diamonds, lithium, chrome, our platinum group of metals, our nickel, iron, coal and methane gas, among others.
“Zimbabwe remains open for business. As you may recall in September this year, my administration and EagleCanion International Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of a Mining to Energy Park in Mapinga, worth US$13 billion,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the Mines to Energy Park project entails the construction of 2×300 Megawatts power stations, a coking plant, granite processing plant, nickel-chromium alloys melter, nickel sulphate plant, lithium salt plant as well as value addition plants to produce batteries, solar panels and other products.
“It is pleasing that Maxi Mind (Zimbabwe) plans to set up a unique battery grade lithium plant in Mapinga. This mining project will therefore directly feed into the Mines to Energy Park in Mapinga, which will house a lithium processing plant, marking the inception of a lithium iron battery value chain in Zimbabwe and the region.
“The plant is set to see the company contributing over US$500m in earnings annually towards the realisation of the US$12 billion mining sector economy by 2030. This single plant in Buhera, in two years time, will be earning about US$2b. The Sabi Star lithium mining project is expected to generate employment opportunities for over 300 local employees during the first phase gradually increasing to 900 employees and numerous indirect jobs during the next phase of development. Already they have employed above 600 people here and the majority are from Buhera,” said the President.
In his address to ZANU PF supporters later in the day, President Mnangagwa said imposition of candidates ahead of 2023 elections will not be tolerated as candidates for parliamentary and council elections should come from the grassroots.
President Mnangagwa, who is also the First Secretary of ZANU PF, said internal party democracy is a key ingredient of any democratic system of government.
He said if candidates are imposed, then the political space will be tainted, cause disintegration of the party and breeds bad blood and discontentment in the rank and file of a party.
“Candidates for ZANU PF should come from the people. The people are saying they don’t want imposition of candidates. No chefs should impose their preferred candidates on the people. Chefs have one vote, not two; and they are where they are because you put them there and as such should respect the will of the grassroots,” he said.
Online Reporter