ZSM commissions US$1,1 million value addition equipment

THE country’s gemstone, cutting and polishing sector is poised for solid growth following the official commissioning yesterday of strategic equipment worth US$1,1 million at the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) in Bulawayo.

The equipment, which is housed at the Gemstone and Lapidary Workshop, was sourced by the Marketing Minerals Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) as part of its corporate social responsibility.

It will be used by mining students and is seen as a great step in building high-quality skills for value addition and beneficiation, which is critical in driving the momentum towards the attainment of an empowered upper middle-income economy vision earlier than 2030. Zimbabwe’s mining sector contributes significantly to the country’s economy and has a diverse gemstone sector, with various precious and semi-precious stones.

Speaking at the unveiling of the MMCZ-ZSM Gemstone Cutting and Polishing Training Centre, Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister, Engineer Polite Kambamura, said the donation signifies a strong relationship between ZSM and MMCZ and the importance of the human capital development agenda.

He noted that the partnership will promote value addition and beneficiation of gemstones through cutting and polishing in line with the National Development Strategy 1.

Further to that, the donation is envisaged to serve as an anchor towards establishing an incubation centre for gemstone cutting and polishing, closing the technical skills gap, and creating employment.

“With growth in the mining sector, we anticipate an exponential growth in human capital and with the right skills. The role of the Zimbabwe School of Mines cannot be overemphasised and we applaud the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe for partnering with the school to achieve the national role of mining skills development in the mining industry and most importantly the objective of empowering youths and women to set up their own value addition centres across Zimbabwe,” he said.

MMCZ board chairman, Dr Issac Kwesu, said the mining institution identified a gap in the local gemstone mining value chain where local artisanal gemstone miners were losing out as a result of a lack of capacity to efficiently mine and value add their products.

“Because of this and in line with the National Development Strategy 1 to promote value addition and beneficiation, MMCZ partnered with ZSM to set up a Gemology Centre, which offers a training programme designed to empower miners in the gemstone sector,” he said.

The initiative has a multi-pronged approach, which includes encouraging formalisation of the gemstone sector, boosting gemstone production, maximising recovery rates, having greater control over the value chain and creating new income opportunities.

The first phase involved the procurement and installation of cutting, grinding and polishing machines. Dr Kwesu said the ultimate goal is to capacitate the trained miners to be able to set up their own gemstone cutting and polishing factories.

ZSM principal, Mr Edwin Gwaze, said the development is a vital step towards modernising ZSM’s facilities, but also highlights the collaborative efforts between Government entities and educational institutions to bridge the skills gap and improve value addition and beneficiation in the mining sector.

He said ZSM’s mandate supported by the Mines Ministry emphasises the importance of equipping the institution’s Lapidary Laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment to meet mining industry demands.

“The school’s focus on enhancing skills in the gemology sector is particularly critical given the non-existent skills in this area.

“The development of new courses including a Diploma in Gemology, a Certificate in Cutting and Polishing and upcoming classes in the year 2026 in jewellery making reflects ZSM’s proactive approach in addressing the deficiencies,” said Mr Gwaze.

“The plan to provide students with faceting and polishing machines upon completion of their courses highlights ZSM’s innovative approach to nurturing entrepreneurship and creating business opportunities within the gemstone industry.”

He noted that ZSM is poised to be a leading training institution in the Sadc mining industry, driving economic growth and sustainable development in the entire region.