ZANU PF’S resource mobilisation and revenue generation chairman Dexter Nduna has said his committee has embarked on revolutionising the mining and agricultural sectors in Zimbabwe to force value-addition to the country’s mineral resources while boosting agricultural productivity.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently appointed Nduna to the committee, with the former Chegutu West legislator saying he will push to maximise the country’s natural resources to boost economic growth.
Nduna told NewsDay Weekender that he was collaborating with existing mining businesses and at the same time acquiring struggling mining companies to rejuvenate the industry.
“We are starting mining like never before. We have bought prospecting licences and we are going to be looking forward to mining in virgin places that have not been mined before,” he said.
“We will be seeking to partner those who are in the mining business already and we will also buy out those that have ailing mining companies.
“Most importantly, we want to beneficiate and value-add our resources. When we mine chrome, we are not going to export it in raw format. We are going to value-add it and we are going to have ferrochrome out of it.”
Nduna added that Zanu PF is also planning to establish refineries at an estimated cost of US$5,2 billion.
“The current state of affairs does not favour the nation, where (certain companies) and everybody else export to Anglo American Platinum Limited (Amplats) for refining,” he said.
“The platinum group of metals has so many minerals embedded in there, but what we see as remittances back home are platinum only and few metals. So if we value-add our platinum, we will get more.
“So the party is going into the process of establishing refineries, so when we are done with that, there is no aorta or a single ounce of platinum that is going to leave this country raw.”
Nduna said the party hoped to establish factories that would manufacture catalytic converters from platinum so that the country gets more value from its minerals.
He added that his committee was planning to transform the agriculture sector, adding that they had approached equipment suppliers to provide necessary tools and machinery without relying on bank loans or external capital.
“We are going to explore all open spaces and go to those farms that are struggling to produce anything so that we either capitalise them or we put in irrigation equipment,” the former legislator said.
“We are going to draw water from unimaginable places that seem impossible to draw water from, for instance the Tugwi-Mukosi, which is 97% full.
“So we don’t see why we cannot draw water from Masvingo to Chegutu. It is possible. So we are going to put water in every space.”