Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere in Manhize
VICE PRESIDENT Dr Constantino Chiwenga has congratulated mining sector investors who responded to the Government’s investment call at the dawn of the Second Republic, particularly amid a sustained rally in metal prices.
He encouraged these investors to ensure that the benefits of their investments are shared with employees and local communities.
VP Chiwenga made the remarks in an interview on the sidelines of his tour of strategic economic projects in the Midlands province.
He noted that the All Metals Price Index, which measures average global metal prices, has seen a significant rise of 55 percent from US$175 to US$303 since 2017, resulting in substantial returns for miners.
In light of this increase, the VP said the economic spin-offs should flow to those actively involved in the extraction of these valuable metals.
“A big congratulations to those who headed the call by His Excellency, President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and invested in this jewel,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Today, we are witnessing a sharp increase in the All Metals Price Index by a massive 55 percent from 2017. Gold, for example, has had a whopping 350 percent rise to the current level, and I think this is unprecedented.
“But all this doesn’t mean anything if the miners do not correspondingly consider the plight of their employees and the local communities.
“You know, any company’s fortunes are heavily dependent on the mood of its workforce.
“If you run a company with a workforce that is always looking for greener pastures, then you are failing. Let’s pay them accordingly and let’s also grant them the necessary protective clothing that is consistent with the hazards of their working environments.”
On the final day of his three-day tour of the Midlands, VP Chiwenga visited Dinson Iron and Steel Company in Manhize, assessing strategic economic projects and their contributions to local communities and the national economy.
He also visited Bata Shoe Company and Sino Zimbabwe Cement in Gweru.
Earlier in his tour, he made stops at Zhe Lithium Mine in Zvishavane and Sandawana Mine in Mberengwa, as well as at Sable Chemicals, Zimchem, Intrachem, and Global union Alloy in Kwekwe.
These visits followed earlier tours in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Bulawayo Province last year.
Speaking at Dinson Iron and Steel, VP Chiwenga acknowledged ongoing negotiations between Dinson and ZISCO Steel, which hold significant promise for reviving the country’s steel industry.
“This facility is a symbol of Zimbabwe’s industrial revitalisation and a testament to the comprehensive strategic partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Zimbabwe,” said VP Chiwenga.
“Government remains committed to ensuring that these partnerships drive value-added industrial growth utilising Chinese expertise and investment into Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.
“Government urges you to enhance skills and technology transfer programmes to benefit the local community,” he stated.
Zimbabwe’s ambitious quest for an empowered upper-middle-income economy by 2030 is gaining momentum, supported by a positive uptick in the country’s industrial capacities.
Industrial revamping and revival are central to the country’s sustainable economic growth, and since the advent of the Second Republic, the Government has been implementing strategies to achieve this goal.
At the conclusion of his tour yesterday, VP Chiwenga expressed satisfaction with the progress he observed at the companies visited, urging them to maintain their current trajectory and deliver tangible results, rather than engaging in mere discussions in boardrooms.
