adminThe asbestos mine owes workers about US$20 million in salaries.
It stopped operations in 2008 and is now under the Government-owned ZMDC.
The parastatal has pledged that the asbestos mining firms would be operational by March this year.
ZMDC chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa yesterday confirmed the payment of US$1 million in outstanding salaries by the parastatal.
“We have paid all the workers,” he said. “We have started paying them what we owe them and we are not going to stop. The year 2012 will see the complete revival of operations at all the mines.”
ZMDC, he said, had started carrying out feasibility studies at Shabanie to establish the current state of affairs at the asbestos mines.
“We are already doing feasibility studies and these will help us establish how much is required to revive the mines. The mines would be fully operational in the next 90 days,” he said.
The ZMDC is funding the revival of the SMM.
Businessman Mr Mutumwa Mawere is challenging the acquisition of the SMM by Government but yesterday Mr Masimirembwa said the legal battle had nothing to do with the ZMDC.
“We are not involved in any legal battle with anyone. We are acting on a mandate from Government. Our duty is to implement the Government directive and we have done so. Anyone with issues to do with the SMM must go and talk to Government,” he said.
Mr Masimirembwa said it was profitable to revive the SMM, adding that many clients were “clamouring for our asbestos”.
The closure of the SMM had turned Mashava into a ghost town.
Government took over the running of the SMM in 2004 from Mr Mawere after it was felt the mining firm was heavily exposed.
ZMDC argues that it is taking over the mines to save jobs and enhance economic recovery.
Before suspending operations, SMM produced an estimated 200 000 tonnes of asbestos every year.
SMM is believed to be sitting on reserves that can be exploited for the next 20 years, strengthening the construction and manufacturing industries that had been in decline.
Online Reporter