adminCletus Mushanawani Mash Central Bureau
Mashonaland Central Province has intensified its rebranding efforts and is urging investors to tap into its rich mineral deposits and tourism opportunities. Speaking during a rebranding meeting at the Minister of State for Mashonaland Provincial Affairs Martin Dinha’s office on Tuesday, acting director in the minister’s office Mr Admore Shereni said the province was open to investment as it had a lot to offer.
“Major investment opportunities are linked to mining,” he said. “The province is endowed with a lot of mineral resources, especially in Bindura, Mazowe, Shamva, Guruve and Rushinga. Establishment of gold ore customer milling centres and chrome smelters are some of the potential investment opportunities in the province.
“With three large gold mines at Freda Rebecca, Shamva and Mazowe, Mashonaland Central is an important gold area. Gold deposits are clustered at Christonbank, Mazowe, Bindura, Shamva, Mt Darwin, Chiweshe and Guruve.
“There is great potential for alluvial gold, with Mazowe, Mukaradzi and Gwetera rivers estimated to contain several tonnes of gold.”
Besides investing in gold mining, investors can also target investments in nickel, chrome, platinum group metals, uranium, pegmatite minerals, tungsten, Rare Earth Elements (REE), baryte, garnet, pyrite, carbonate minerals, verdite, amazonite, iron ore, dimension stones and hydrocarbons.
“As for the presence of uranium in the province, regional airborne surveys carried out over the Karoo rocks in the Zambezi Valley in the mid-1980s outlined several anomalies and Kanyemba was targeted for detailed studies,” said Mr Shereni.
“Exploration at Kanyemba has so far outlined 700 000 tonnes of ore. Rare Earth Elements are elements that make it possible for the high tech world we live in and have been found to occur in restricted environments, including carbonatites.
“Mashonaland Central is known to host three carbonatites at Gungwa, Mutondongwe and Nanuta. While there has not been exploration for REE at these complexes, Gungwa is known to be enriched in lanthanum and cerium.”
The province also boasts of the biggest barite deposits in the country at Dodge Mine near Shamwa.
Baryte is a barium sulphate that is used as a filler in paper, rubber, linoleum, oilcloth and plastic manufacturing.
Mr Shereni said the province was endowed with a variety of wildlife and scenic view places, but the industry remained largely unexploited.
“The province’s diverse wildlife species have attracted the development of lodges and safari camps in areas like Mavhuradona Wilderness, the Kanyemba Corridor, Mupfurudzi Safari area in Shamva District and Dande Safari area in Zambezi Valley,” he said.
“Potential investment opportunities include the establishment of a conference centre, lodges and holiday resort homes at Paradise Pools at the confluence of Pote and Nyauri rivers in Bindura District.
“There is also an opportunity to develop conference facilities on the Mavhuradona Wilderness corridor, as well as establishment of more fishing camps in the Kanyemba Border Post environs.”
On the manufacturing sector, Mr Shereni, said: “There are few processing industries for the raw materials being extracted in the province. One can take the opportunity to invest in the clothing and textile industries as cotton is produced in abundance.
“Oil processing and milling, timber and furniture, as well as chemical processing still need capital injection. A mineral processing plant will also remain of great importance to the province since Mashonaland Central is a major mineral producer.”
Online Reporter