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Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe Limited (PLZ), located in the Goromonzi District, is wholly acquired by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Industry Co. Ltd. (Hereinafter referred to as “Huayou Cobalt Industry”).
It has a total investment of US$700 million, and its main products are spodumene concentrate and petalite concentrate.
At present, the company has about 1 200 employees, of which more than 1 000 are local employees in Zimbabwe.
PLZ has always adhered to the concept of “no matter where we invest, we should contribute to the local economy and society”, and is committed to promoting local economic development and people’s well-being.
Through field visits and community meetings, PLZ Company listens to the needs of the community and formulates an annual social responsibility activity plan.
PLZ’s work in social responsibility has also been affirmed by the local government.
At the beginning of this year, Mashonaland East Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Apollonia Munzverengwi and her delegation visited the company to inspect its operation and ESG work.
She praised the efforts and important contributions made by PLZ in promoting local economic development, social progress and ensuring the well-being of Tianjin employees.
As of October this year, PLZ has invested more than US$2 million in public welfare donations and various community development projects, including assisting Government activities, water storage tanks, agricultural materials and other material donations, sharing achievements with the community and achieving common development. PLZ has recently carried out the following community development and charity projects.
Infrastructure
- Bridge construction
The bridges from Ruwa area to the surrounding communities of PLZ Company have been in need of reconstruction for a long time.
It is difficult for the surrounding residents to travel and traffic accidents occur frequently. The company has formulated and implemented a detailed upgrading and reconstruction plan for the damaged bridges, which has been unanimously welcomed by the residents and the Local Government.
In addition, in August this year, PLZ also built a new pedestrian bridge for the Glinockie community.
The community is located in a remote area with poor transportation conditions. To solve this problem, PLZ Company has built a steel frame pedestrian bridge at an important travel point in the community, which greatly improved conditions of local residents and brings great convenience when travelling.
In the past, the rainy season often required a long detour or a muddy river to cross the other side, which was extremely inconvenient and had potential safety hazards. Nowadays, people can travel easily, farmers can work freely across the straits, and students can go to school more conveniently and safely.
- Road construction
The 26.8km road from Ruwa area to PLZ Company was damaged resulting in frequent traffic accidents, travelling challenges for residents and slow economic development of the community.
PLZ Company implemented surface clearing, widening, paving, digging drainage ditches and other works, increased its hardness through base compaction and asphalt mixed road paving, widened the road to nine metres, and finally completed a total of 25.4 km of roads.
The pavement repair and upgrading work of the whole section shortened the driving time from the original mining area to Ruwa from two and a half hours to 40 minutes.
Road accidents have been effectively alleviated and the driving safety factor has been improved.
PLZ will also harden the 8 km dirt road from the mining area to Majuru Shopping Centre to further improve the traffic conditions and living environment around the community. Road repairs were set to begin in October and are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
- Dam construction
The Chinyika Dam has been technically renovated by PLZ. By raising the overflow of the dam, the water storage capacity has significantly increased and more water can be effectively collected and stored during the rainy season.
PLZ has also reinforced the dam to enhance its stability and safety under various climatic conditions.
These reinforcement measures not only improve the durability of the dam, but also ensure that it can better cope with extreme weather events, provide a more stable water supply for the community, solve the problem of water shortage in the long run, and lay a solid foundation for the future development of the community.
- Education improvement
The schools around the mining area had poor infrastructure and faced shortages of teaching materials, so it was difficult to attract and retain excellent teachers, resulting in the stagnation of school teaching time.
Since 2022, PLZ has built teachers’ dormitories for the surrounding primary and secondary schools such as Vhuta Primary School and Belmont Primary School.
The company has also renovated school buildings, and purchased teaching materials such as desks, chairs and textbooks to help them improve their teaching environment. In addition, PLZ has also set up a “Prospect Lithium Industry” scholarship to subsidise and reward outstanding students and teachers.
Recreational activities
- Africa Day activities
On May 23, 2024, PLZ, together with Confucius Institute, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other partners, held the 2024 Africa Day event with the theme of “Light of Africa, Exploring Cultural Heritage” at Mwanza High School in Goromonzi.
The event brought together multicultural exchanges and exhibitions, presented participants with a cultural feast across national boundaries in the form of singing and dancing, performances, literary and artistic exhibitions and food exchanges, and made positive contributions to promoting Sino-African friendship and cooperation.
- Community public welfare film activities
In 2024, PLZ launched two public welfare film screening activities in the surrounding communities, and more than 400 community residents participated in the free viewing activities. This activity not only becomes the centre of community gathering and enriches the cultural life of residents, but also promotes the interaction and unity among residents and strengthens the cohesion of the community.
Industrial support and poverty alleviation
- Sponsor an agricultural exhibition
In August 2024, PLZ sponsored the Ruwa region to hold the annual municipal agricultural exhibition, providing rich prizes for participating farmers and contributing to the sustainable development of local agriculture.
This is the second consecutive year that the company has sponsored the event.
Agriculture is a pillar industry in Zimbabwe, and the agricultural exhibition is one of the most important events in the country.
It will not only display the latest agricultural technology and products, but also be a platform for exchange and cooperation in local development, attracting a large number of agricultural practitioners and enthusiasts to participate every year.
- Distribution of living materials for the surrounding vulnerable groups
For two consecutive years, PLZ has distributed welfare packages to the elderly (over 55 years old) and the disabled in the surrounding communities, providing these vulnerable groups with urgently needed living materials to meet their basic needs.
This project has benefited hundreds of vulnerable families, and PLZ will distribute materials to 62 elderly families in the second half of the year.
Online Reporter