By Brendah Muchato
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday officially commissioned the Blanket Gold Mine Central Shaft Expansion where he challenged mining houses to increase a investments on their operations for the realisation of maximum value from our mineral resources.
“I challenge other mining houses to increase investments in their operations for the realisation of maximum value from our mineral resource base for the good of the economy and our people in general”, His Excellency President Mnangagwa said.
Blanket Gold Mine is located approximately 15km west of Gwanda. The mine began production in 1904 and was acquired by Caledonia Mining from Kinross Gold in 2006. It currently produces approximately 1,200t of ore a day.
Zimbabwe generated US$3.5 billion in 2020 and US$ 5,2 billion in 2021 from minerals showing that the mining sector is growing. This is fulfilling the realization of the US$12 billion milestone by 2023 and it resonates well with the New Dispensation's quest _of leaving no-one and no-place behind_.
President Mnangagwa urged the mining houses to alter into low carbon and digitally enabled organisations as well as prioritising local procurement.
“Going forward, I urge mining houses to gradually transform into low carbon and digitally enabled organisations. Further, I urge the sector to prioritise local procurement. On their part, capacitated local manufacturers should produce competitively priced goods and services. These initiatives must result in the development of supportive industry clusters, for mutually beneficial improvements in infrastructure, supplier capacity and human resources”, President Mnangagwa said.
He further challenged mining houses to adopt new innovation and invest in new technologies.
“Mining houses are exhorted to adopt new innovation and invest in contemporary technologies towards enhancing productivity and profitability as well as our collective quest to reduce the carbon footprint on our planet”, he said.
President Mnangagwa commended Blanket Mine for installing solar plant and urged mining houses and industry to increase internal power generation capacity within their enterprises for their own use.
“New investments by mining houses such as Blanket Gold Mines' Central Shaft Expansion are not only playing a key role in increasing exports and employment, but also increasing the demand for power. I commend Blanket Mine for installing the recently commissioned solar plant to power their operations. This is in line with the Second Republic's policy on increasing the use of green energy solutions”, he said.