President’s speech brings hope to Mhangura

Conrad Mupesa in MHANGURA
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inaugural speech has raised hopes among many people here that the decommissioned Mhangura Copper Mine might be reopened.

Mhangura Mine stopped operations in 1999, resulting in a lot of people losing their jobs in the town, whose sole economic activity was copper mining. Residents and former mine workers here said Zimbabwe’s new political dispensation raised hope for a better Zimbabwe.

President Mnangagwa’s inaugural speech as Head of State and Government at the National Sports Stadium left many in Mhangura hoping that the mine would be revived once again. He promised to open doors to the international world to improve foreign direct investment inflows.

“We have, however, successfully maintained good relations with the preponderance majority of the family of nations. I stand here today to say that our country is ready and willing for ecstatic re-engagements with all the nations of the world,” the President said in his speech. He also implored the West to remove economic and political sanctions that haunted Mugabe’s regime.

“Whatever misunderstandings may have subsisted in the past, let these make way for a new beginning,” the President said. It is from the above that the majority of Mhangura residents’ and former mine workers’ hopes have been reignited as they expect the Government to lure interested nations and investors to invest in the copper mine. One former mine worker, Mr Farai Kadzura, expressed optimism for a new dawn in the former copper giant, which shut down operations due to low world markets back then.

“Copper is still available in the shafts and other surveyed areas, it was only the markets and mismanagement that led to the closure of the mine. The whole world needs copper as it is a good conductor of electricity, thus if the Government, through the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, considers prioritising Mhangura Mine not only the town will benefit but the whole nation at large,” Kadzura said.

Other residents said they were hopeful of the President’s ability to turn things around based on his successful efforts in overseeing the Command Agriculture programme.

“President Mnangagwa oversaw the running of Command Agriculture programme in the 2016-2017 farming season when he was still the Vice President, the outcome of the scheme serves as an indicator that he is a man aiming at reviving all sectors of economy so that Zimbabwe retains jewel of Africa status once again. We have no doubt that he will revive the mining industry,” said one Johanne Mutasa.

While many were optimistic that the mine would be opened, many believed that if it was revived, the lives of people in the defunct former mining settlement would improve.

“Majority of the former workers did not get pieces of the land promised as part of retrenchment packages. Less than 200 out of nearly a thousand workers benefited in the land allocation, which means the rest were left with no means of production, thus if the Government considers reopening the mine, many families will benefit,” one former worker added. Everyone here has remained optimistic that the mine will open its doors one day just like what happened in Zambia.”