STRATEGIC DEALS
…ZMF gets strategic mining partnerships
HARARE- The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has signed three strategic partnerships aimed at capacitating small-scale miners in their quest to ramp up production in line with the Government’s vision of growing mining to a US$12 billion industry by 2023.
The partnership deals saw the small miners body signing agreements with the country’s largest commercial bank, the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ), Ali Japan786 - a company that is in the automobile industry and the Central Mechanical and Engineering Department (CMED).
CBZ are coming on board as a banking partner and have committed to cover the funding gap that has for long dogged the small scale mining sector.
The Ali Japan786 deal will see small-scale miners getting access to motor vehicles and mobile mining machinery on flexible payment terms.
The signing of the deal immediately saw the Japanese investor committing to ship in at least 200 vehicles for distribution to the small-scale miners and these will be delivered before the end of this year.
With power challenges identified as one of the biggest challenges bedevilling the sector, CMED are coming on board as a partner in the provision of fuel on flexible terms that will ensure miners can get on with production with minimum disrup
tions.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando who is also ZMF patron graced the signing ceremony and said it was a step in the right direction towards addressing some of the biggest challenges threatening the viability of small scale mining.
He said the Government’s wish is to grow their operations to a stage where they can be viewed in the same breath as large scale miners.
Chitando also challenged the ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya and her
executive to continue striving to begin partnerships that help to capacitate the small-scale miner.
He also announced that the Government will soon unveil other initiatives, in consultation with ZMF, which are meant to capacitate small scale miners.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ali Japan786 representative Ali Mohammed said his company sees a lot of potential in the small-scale mining sector and is coming in to play a part in the realisation of that potential.