Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere has been included among the most influential people in mining on the continent, according to a recent Miningmx, Rainmakers and Pot Stirrers survey.
Kasukuwere is pushing for the indigenisation of Zimbabwe’s mining sector, a policy critics say is meant to win Zanu PF votes ahead of elections either this year or in 2013.
Also on the list are chief executive officers of large mining corporations such as BHP Bilton, Marrius Cloppers and South Africa’s Mines minister Susan Shabangu.
Former African National Congress (ANC) Youth League boss Julias Malema also featured on the list. Malema, who was widely seen as the South African version of Kasukuwere, was pushing for the nationalisation of mines before he was expelled from the ANC last week.
The survey was published by Miningmx, a leading South African mining and resources news website. Kasukuwere has been at loggerheads with foreign mining companies and threatened to cancel operating licences of Caledonia Mining’s Blanket Mine amid accusations the Canadian firm was not playing ball.
He has launched three community share ownership schemes to date.
