$4,5m boost for Harare Quarry

HARARE City Council has secured a $4,5 million loan to finance the recapitalisation of Harare Quarry and has appointed its former director of works Engineer Phillip Pfukwa to head the city’s strategic business unit for the next six months.

The city owns the site between Airport Road and Seke Road, which has huge deposits of granite.

Harare began to exploit the granite rock deposits in earnest in the 1940s, with the granite used for road network construction and maintenance works.

Studies have shown that the Quarry Station still has a lifespan of over 60 years when mining is done at maximum capacity.

Acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube, who sits on the board, said a loan amounting to $4,5 million was secured from a local bank.

“The board held its inaugural meeting today and appointed Eng Pfukwa to run the affairs of the city’s strategic business unit for the next six months, while the hunt for a substantive general manager and key personnel takes place.

“The former City of Harare director of works who sits on the board has been instructed to put systems in place ahead of the management appointments,” she said.

The board, which is chaired by prominent banker Mr Ben Gasurira, has been tasked to immediately turn the entity into a profit making unit that does not only produce materials for the city’s road construction and rehabilitation, but for the public market.

Other body members include city of Harare councillors and prominent engineers in Government.

Mrs Ncube said with the funding projections, Harare could sell some of the quarry

products to companies engaged to reconstruct the Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway.

She assured employees that their employment was secured, adding that the workers at the quarry should be settled as there were no plans to lay off anyone.

Harare mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni welcomed the new board at its first meeting and urged speedy implementation of board resolutions to turn around the SBU’s fortunes.

The city’s proposed joint venture with a local company on the project was cancelled after it was seen to be not in the best interest of council.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere had requested the city to obtain and independent assessment on a proposed Joint Venture Project on Harare Quarry with Rukova Resources and the capacity of an independent partner to undertake the joint venture.