Online Reporter
Lincoln Towindo in HANGZHOU, China
Zimbabwe has secured commitments from major Chinese enterprises to partner in the beneficiation, value addition and industrialisation of its mineral resources, marking the conclusion of Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga’s high-level investment mission to China.
In an interview ahead of his departure, VP Chiwenga declared that the mission’s success would only be fully realised “when the programme starts evolving, and we are seeing the projects being implemented.”
“We will see the full success of the mission when the programme starts evolving, and we are seeing the projects being implemented,” he said.
“But having said that, we believe we had successful discussions with all the major companies that we met with.”
During the visit, Dr Chiwenga announced that the Government will no longer approve isolated, single-mineral mining operations, insisting instead on integrated investment capable of identifying, separating and processing multiple ores at source.
He toured Huayou Cobalt – which has invested over US$700 million at its Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi, including a concentrator and a lithium sulphate plant that began production this year – and Chilwee, China’s largest battery manufacturer, which he courted to set up production in Zimbabwe where its raw materials are already mined.
The Vice President also visited Alibaba, met with the leaders of construction machinery giant Sany Group, railway builder China Railway 25th Bureau Group and toured the Hangzhou City Brain artificial intelligence command centre.
He also officiated at the Zimbabwe-China Business Forum, which was attended by key Chinese investors.
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to China, Mrs Abigail Shoniwa, confirmed that Chinese enterprises had already begun responding to the investment invitation.
“What is critical is follow-up on what has been discussed. The agenda has been set, and there will be a lot of work ahead,” she said.
She said lessons from the Hangzhou City Brain’s AI-managed public services would inform Zimbabwe’s planned smart cities.
Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Willard Manungo added: “Our vision is growing the economic cake; growing the incomes of the average Zimbabwean. For us to grow that cake, we need economic transformation,” he said. “It is a win-win arrangement for both Zimbabwe and China.”
Bongani Ndlovu