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Mineral royalties most welcome

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By Tawanda Chenana

IT seems there is no shortage of good news and developments in the Second Republic and we, in the village, are overwhelmed by the goodness emanating from all quarters.

The word reaching us, that miners will now be paying royalties, a part, in the minerals they produce is most wonderful news.

Zimbabwe is endowed with some of the most valuable minerals in the world and is among countries that constitute the avowed Persian Gulf of Minerals in Africa.

South Africa, Zambia, the DRC and Namibia also have strategic minerals which include chrome, platinum, manganese and rare earth minerals.

Among these, Zimbabwe is the richest in terms of minerals per capita value of minerals in the world.

Zimbabwe and South Africa control 90 percent of the world’s platinum.

It is a rare mineral.

According to a report submitted by the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)’s Working Group of Diamond Experts, Marange holds 30 percent of the world’s diamonds and by far the most potent landscape in the world in terms of its mineralogy.

We have watched miners in our communities shipping out minerals and while we welcomed the job opportunities, we also wondered how future generations would also benefit; the minerals are finite, one day they will run out.

But now, if we bank the actual minerals, the unborn will be born into plenty. 

Indeed, having mineral wealth does not have to be a curse, as some claim.

Today, the mining sector is making important contributions to development in many low and middle income countries.

His Excellence President Emmerson Mnangagwa, by coming up with this all important policy, has ensured that mineral wealth does not have to be a curse but a blessing to the majority.

This new policy is us, vana vevhu, boldly seizing the opportunity extractives offer for ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

When it comes to mining, MaDzimbahwe are not new to the sector.

The proliferation of ancient mine workings gives evidence of extensive mining in Zimbabwe prior to the white settlers in the late 19th Century.

The first written document on mining in Zimbabwe was made by 10th Century Arab geographers. Portuguese records from the 16th Century show that Portuguese traders also obtained gold from Munhumutapa.

Apart from land, the search for gold was a primary reason for colonisation in 1890.

Indeed, within 24 hours of the disbandment of the Pioneer Column, the white interlopers were already all over the country prospecting for gold.

Jumbo Mine, situated 40km north of Harare, registered in October 1890, was one of the earliest gold mines.

Thus, the country’s mineral resources have always been crucial to efforts at industrial and economic self-sufficiency.

We know that developing a real and genuine people’s economy is never a stroll in the park.

It entails the summoning and maximum use of sound and solid policies, formed on the basis of people-oriented programmes, enshrined in the principle of ‘People First’.

Clearly, President Mnangagwa appreciates that our mining sector is a low hanging fruit and is implementing policies that ensure not only us but future generations benefit.

Our mining sector is a greenfield that is eagerly waiting to be explored.

It has not been fully explored and we must, as a matter of urgency, embark on a full scale exploration of the sector.

This will help us in quantifying what we have on the ground.

So far, we have been relying on estimates which range from one source to the other, with some saying we have minerals worth over US$10 trillion while others put the figure way above what we have been told.

To put the speculation to rest, Government must invest heavily in exploration.

We are on the right track.

And as we implement these great empowering policies, at the back of our collective minds should be the pervasive knowledge that these resources will attract the Western robbers that prey on resource-rich nations.

The war on Zimbabwe, first by the colonialists and now, by the imperialists, has always been about the land and those abundant mineral resources.

The West will never let go of this country unless, and until, they help themselves to those resources.

The prevailing illegal economic sanctions on the country amplifies this compelling fact.

There is a nasty fight against this country because of its resources.

There is a serious attempt by the West to loot those resources. And they will never rest until they lay their hands on the same.

This compels us, as a nation, to be constantly on our guard, lest those minerals are taken away from us. But we are happy that the Commander-in-Chief, President ED, is firmly in control, protecting the country and ensuring we are not cheated.

In the meantime, let us make use of our minerals to develop our country. 

Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe liyakhwa ngabanikazi. 

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