Chronicle Editor
Following the appointment of the new Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon Soda Zhemu, Duration Gold Limited principal Mr Alan Dolan paid a courtesy call to strengthen ties with the parent ministry as well as establish plans to reopen the flagship Vubachikwe gold mine in Gwanda after an illegal strike left the mine under care and maintenance late last year.
In a productive meeting in Harare, Mr Dolan met the minister and promised to work with him and the ministry to ensure maximum productivity. He also asked Minister Zhemu for assistance and declared his intention to ensure that the mine is reopened and that the reputable organisation provided vital two-way communication with the mother ministry.
At a meeting at the minister’s Harare offices, Mr Dolan spelt out his dreams, hopes and aspirations for the mine as well as made his case for ministry help.
“We have made a case at our mother minister, the provincial minister Mrs Evelyn Ndlovu, whom we met ahead of all other ministers as she is the custodian with regards jurisdiction, and further met other stakeholders.” said Mr Dolan.
“The further closure of the mine undermines the national cause and as such we want to open the mine to optimal state as soon as possible with the help of our ministers. We owe our home minister and the PMD Mr Mlangeni our work out plan and a roadmap on how we shall reopen.
“That has led to us of course meeting the parent Minister Zhemu who has been kind, receptive and remarkably helpful,” added Mr Dolan.
“In the coming week we shall be making sure our principals are privy to intimate and intricate details of our plans and asking to be hand-held to make it all come to fruition and making the mine come back roaring to life” he added.
Minister Zhemu pledged to continue where the erstwhile Minister Winston Chitando left off, citing that Government policy would not change in as far as pledging to help key mines return to optimal performance.
“It happens in business that things go wrong but the key wish of the ministry is to ensure that we give as much help as possible to ensure success of our mines and make sure both investors and the nation get optimal results from investment for the good of the fiscus,” said Minister Zhemu.
Mr Dolan expressed appreciation for the continued help both in the province via the minister and PMD as well as at Ministry level to make sure the impasse is resolved and Vubachikwe returns to contributing to the national fiscus.
“We have buy-in from the workers through the NEC and we are aware some workers may be having their own motives to end the movement and positivity but we are assured the bulk of workers are on board and everybody that matters is pulling in the same direction,” said Mr Dolan.
“With that amount of commitment, we are assured we shall be making the right traction going forward as we move towards implementation of the work out plan, regardless of the actions of known detractors,” he concluded.
Online Reporter