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THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Mines and Energy in conjunction with the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development will this week hold public hearings on the Minerals Exploration and Marketing Corporation and Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology Bills.
In a statement, Parliament said the hearings by two teams would begin today in Hwange, while the Bulawayo and Gwanda hearings would be held tomorrow. The Bulawayo hearings will be held at the Small City Hall.
On Wednesday one team will hold meetings in Zvishavane and Masvingo before proceeding to Nyika and Mutare on Thursday. The final hearing will be held in Harare on Friday. The other team will consult in Gweru and Kwekwe today and proceed to Kadoma and Chinhoyi tomorrow.
The team will be in Mutoko on Wednesday, Bindura on Thursday and will conclude consultations in Harare on Friday. “The Portfolio Committees on Mines and Energy in conjunction with the Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development will hold public hearings on the Minerals Exploration and Marketing Corporation and Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology Bills from the 16th to the 20th of May,” said Parliament.
“The public, interested groups and organisations are invited to attend these hearings.” The Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology Bill is meant to establish a State university which will train mineral professionals in beneficiation and value addition in line with the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.
The university will provide for highly advanced post-graduate courses and research in mineral value addition, beneficiation and related minerals studies. The Mineral Exploration Bill’s main thrust will be comprehensive resource evaluation that will pave the way for increased investment in the mining sector.
Legislators have expressed concern that despite an abundance of mineral wealth, the country does not have geological information and has not done comprehensive exploration to date to determine the quantity of its mineral resources, hence the Minerals Exploration and Marketing Corporation Bill.
The careful exploitation of the country’s abundant natural resources was cited as critical for the success of Zim-Asset thus the need to channel more resources towards mineral exploitation.
Zimbabwe is endowed with numerous mineral resources such as diamonds, gold and platinum reserves as well as reserves encompassing 60 different types of minerals.
derick.khumalo