ONE of Zimbabwe's major gold producers Ming Chang Sino Africa has brought cheer to Manicaland's Odzi area six months after commencing operations through major road rehabilitation and community projects.
The company has spent at least US$150 000 rehabilitating a 15-kilometre stretch linking the Harare-Mutare Highway and business centres in the area.
The works involved resurfacing and improving drainage, mine director Liu Xialong said during a tour on Thursday.
“This project is from the riverside and goes beyond our mine and shopping centre," Xialong said.
Vendor Agnes Chikuku said: “It now takes me a few minutes to get into Mutare for supplies because the road is now smooth. Transport is now abundant too and cheaper.”
Xialong said management was in discussions with the community for other projects as part of its corporate social responsibility.”
Xialong added: “We started operating last year in June with a lot of help from the community and we owe them. We are in discussions with local authorities for borehole projects, starting with three that are being finalised."
Currently, the mine employs 50 people and the bulk of them are from the local community.
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Xialong, however, bemoaned the heavy rains which were disrupting operations. He said the mine has capacity to process 10 000 tonnes of gold ore monthly, but this had been significantly reduced because of the heavy rains.
“Indications are that these are very good deposits and the mine life is quite long. We are prepared to invest millions of dollars on this project, but I can’t give you the specific numbers at this stage,” he said.
In phase two of the project, the mine hopes to employ 60 more workers on a permanent basis, and the combined figure could double as the project grows with targets to hit 300 employee minimum.
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