Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, [email protected]
THE Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Polite Kambamura has said technology is a critical component in developing an integrated mineral-industrial corridors in which mines, processors, manufacturers, suppliers, research institutions and training centres share resources.
Delivering a keynote address at the Beneficiation and Value Addition Symposium at Mine Entra 2026 on Thursday, the Minister said as the country drives beneficiation through integrated mineral-industrial corridors, technology plays an important role.
“Beneficiation competitiveness is determined not only inside the factory gate, but across the entire ecosystem that supplies and connects the factory.
“We must develop integrated mineral-industrial corridors in which mines, processors, manufacturers, suppliers, research institutions and training centres share reliable power, water, transport, laboratories and waste-treatment infrastructure,” he said.
“Manhize, Hwange, Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Selous, Ngezi, Goromonzi, Mapinga, Bikita, Dorowa, Gweru, Shurugwi and Zvishavane should become connected centres of industrial activity rather than isolated production sites. Technology must run through this system.”
He said artificial intelligence (AI), automation, digital twins, ore sorting and predictive maintenance can improve exploration, safety, recovery and productivity.
Minister Dr Kambamura said digital traceability can strengthen mineral accountability and market access, while smart energy systems and real-time environmental monitoring can reduce costs and protect communities.
He added: “However, technology must transfer capability to Zimbabweans. Our objective is not simply to import automated equipment, but to develop Zimbabwean engineers, technicians, data scientists, geologists, metallurgists and technology enterprises capable of operating, improving and eventually designing these systems.”
The Minister said industrialisation must also be environmentally responsible and socially legitimate.
He said future markets will examine a mineral’s carbon footprint, water use, traceability, labour practices, biodiversity impact and relationship with surrounding communities, while these factors will increasingly determine access to finance and markets.
Minister Dr Kambamura added: “A statutory mining title is not the same as a social licence to operate. Communities must experience transparent consultation, fair compensation, employment, local procurement, environmental protection and credible grievance mechanisms.”
He said a mine closure and rehabilitation must be planned from the beginning as responsible mining protects investment, preserves production and builds enduring trust.
The Minister said Government will provide policy direction and facilitate infrastructure, but it cannot industrialise the country through policy statements alone.
‘Mining houses must invest beyond extraction; manufacturers must meet international standards; banks must provide patient capital; universities must commercialise knowledge; communities must become genuine development partners; and investors must bring technology, markets, skills and long-term commitment alongside capital,” he said.
He said beneficiation was not economic isolation as Zimbabwe must manufacture for its domestic market while using SADC, COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area to achieve competitive scale.
Minister Dr Kambamura said where a complete value chain cannot yet be sustained nationally, they should build strategic regional partnerships while ensuring that Zimbabwe captures a meaningful and progressively increasing share of value.
“The minerals beneath our soil were created over geological ages. They are finite and once extracted and sold, cannot be recreated. Our obligation is to convert this finite inheritance into something permanent: infrastructure, skills, technology, competitive enterprises and an industrial economy that will serve Zimbabwe long after individual mines have closed.”
derick.khumalo