Mines and Mining Development minister Walter Chidakwa on Wednesday said mining companies should come together and build a power station to leverage power shortages in the country.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Zimbabwe, like many of its peers in the region, has been battling to plug energy deficit due to limited investment in the capital intensive energy sector.
Zimbabwe requires about 2 200 megawatts daily, but generates only 1 400MW resulting in frequent power cuts that hit mines, industry and households.
Addressing delegates at a Mine Entra conference in Bulawayo Chidakwa said Zesa was not the sole power producer in the country and as such mining companies should build their own power station and stop complaining.
“We need to come together and find ways on how we can curb power shortages in the country. For example, if platinum, gold and chrome companies would come together and say we want to develop a power station for our activities, surely, they can leverage power problems and it’s possible. It must be done,” he said.
Chidakwa said if they produced excess electricity they would sell it to the government.
He also said companies should carry their own exploration.
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Chidakwa said the government was not going back on consolidating diamond mining companies in Marange.
“We will not take a step back on the issue of consolidation. There are other companies who are campaigning against the issue but I want to tell them that we will not back-track and we have prepared a model on how we could handle it,” he said.
Chidakwa said diamond companies opposing plans to consolidate their operations were giving baseless reasons like cultural differences.
There are five mines operating in Marange — Anjin. Diamond Mining Corporation, Jinan Mining (Private) Ltd, Marange Resources and Mbada Diamonds — after Gye Nyame and Kusena went under. Gye Nyame and Kusena will be taken over by wholly government-owned Marange Resources.
The consolidation exercise which could result in all the diamond mines in the country being bundled into a single company took shape earlier this year under Chidakwa’s supervision.
According to initial proposals of the process that was supposed to be completed by end of March, government will own a 50% equity stake in the new company while the others will share the remaining equity based on their balance sheets.
Chidakwa said government has approved plans to start mining minerals from the riverbeds but that would be with caution in order to protect rivers from siltation.
