Sundaymail Editor
Leroy Dzenga
Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe is finalising drafting a policy that will guide the exploitation of uranium for peaceful purposes, the Government has said.
Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura told The Sunday Mail that the policy will govern prospecting, title acquisition, exploration, development, production, processing and beneficiation.
President Mnangagwa recently told an investors’ meeting in New York, United States, that geopolitical concerns had previously forestalled exploitation of the mineral.
Zimbabwe is considered to have uranium deposits in the Zambezi River valley, north of the country.
According to Deputy Minister Kambamura, uranium mining could give impetus to plans to exponentially grow the mining sector. Presently, he said, the Government was undertaking an exercise to quantify the uranium deposits.
He said the country will invest in local value addition and was keen on partnering foreign investors.
“Government has already signed some memoranda of understanding (MoU) with its partners, and implementation of the agreements will commence once the uranium policy has been finalised,” he said.
“Last year, Cabinet approved an MoU between Zimbabwe and the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation to facilitate higher-level cooperation in the use of nuclear energy,” added Deputy Minister Kambamura.
Energy and Power Development Permanent Secretary Engineer Gloria Magombo said the authorities are exploring ways the country can harness uranium for power generation. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology is considered a key partner in facilitating exploitation of the resource
Uranium is a heavy radioactive metal and is the principal fuel for nuclear reactors.
Countries like the United States are heavily reliant on uranium-powered nuclear plants.
In 2019, nuclear reactors at the US’ 93 nuclear plants accounted for 19 percent of the country’s electricity output.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter