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Terex Trucks changes name to “Rokbak” in Volvo Brand Transition

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Terex Trucks changes name to “Rokbak” in Volvo Brand Transition

Terex Trucks is now Rokbak, in a move that removes the Terex name from the articulated truck line Volvo Group purchased in 2014.

Marcia Doyle

“Now is the right time for us to carve a brand new name for our business,” says Paul Douglas, Rokbak managing director.

Under the Rokbak brand, Volvo Group subsidiary Volvo Construction Equipment is offering two models, the 30.9-ton RA30 and the 41.9-ton RA40. Coming in new colors and livery, Volvo says, the two units offer better fuel economy, lower emissions, improved safety and greater durability than the previous Terex Truck models, TA300 and TA400.

Improvements include Tier 4 engines, a new transmission on the RA30, the introduction of Haul Track telematics and an emphasis on operator comfort and safety. The RA30’s ZF transmission has a 4,000-hour oil change, and the RA40’s Allison transmission comes with a 6,000-hour oil change. In addition, the RA40’s transmission has adaptive shifting and drop-box two-speed ratios, helping the truck maintain optimum momentum, Volvo says.

The Haul Track telematics offers information such as machine location, hours, engine speed and idle time, machine operating parameters, fuel consumption and system fault code alerts.

Wide pivoting steps and service platforms provide safe and easy access to the cab.

“We already have a very healthy order book for the new brand, and we want to further expand our reputation, dealer network and market share,” Douglas says. “We’re still the same skilled, experienced, and passionate team, committed to making rock-solid haulers every day. But we also have a clear vision for where we want to go and who we want to be.”

Rokbak has quite a legacy. Volvo traces the machine’s lineage back to 1934 when Euclid Road Machinery built what Volvo calls the world’s first off-road truck, the Model 1Z. The trucks have been made in Motherwell, Scotland since 1950. General Motors bought Euclid in 1953 and renamed its earthmoving division “Terex,” from the Latin “terra” (earth) and “rex” (king). Terex became independent of General Motors in 1987, was bought by North West Engineering in 1992, forming Terex Corporation. Volvo Group bought the off-road truck line from Terex in 2014 and marketed it until now as Terex Trucks.

“It’s important for us to preserve the heritage, expertise and relationships that have been built up over the years,” says Melker Jernberg, president, Volvo CE and executive vice president, Volvo Group. “We didn’t want to start changing everything about what made Terex Trucks so successful in the first place. It was crucial to allow the company to run with the same autonomy that it always has. As Terex Trucks rebrands to Rokbak, we see continuation of the company’s strong tradition, shaking up the industry and doing things in their own way.”

Prospect identifies a number of exploration targets

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Prospect identifies a number of exploration targets

Prospect Resources has discovered a number of exploration options that might significantly expand the Arcadia Resource.

Shantel Chisango

Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, Prospect Resources Managing Director Mr Sam Hosack stated that identifying these exploratory targets puts Prospect on the right track to keep funding exploration projects going.

“We are going to fund further exploration so we can realise some value from our skills and knowledge,” said Hosack.

Furthermore, Hosack mentioned that the initiative of sponsoring exploratory projects is only for a short term period.

“This is a plan for the short term future,” said Hosack.

Speaking on the Arcadia project, mining will be carried out by hydraulic, track-mounted backhoe excavators, with ore and waste hauled by off-road dump trucks, according to the business plans.

“It is planned that the company mining will be performed by hydraulic, track-mounted backhoe excavators with ore and waste hauled using off-road dump trucks.”

The company went on to say that open-pit mining method is the most convenient and economic extraction, due to the shallowness of the ore body.

Currently, Prospect’s Arcadia project is deemed as Africa’s most advanced lithium development making it the only independent, shovel-ready project globally without offtake locked up as well as one of the world’s premier hard rock lithium assets.

About Prospect Resources

Prospect Resources Limited (ASX: PSC, FRA:5E8) is a battery minerals company with a focus on lithium in and around Zimbabwe, with the flagship project being the 87% owned Arcadia Lithium project, located on the outskirts of Harare in Zimbabwe. Its Arcadia Lithium Project represents a globally significant hard rock lithium resource. The project is being rapidly developed by Prospect’s experienced team, with the focus on near term production of petalite and spodumene concentrates.

Gvt should decriminalize gemstone possession, Moyo

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Gvt should decriminalize gemstone possession, Moyo

In order to benefit significantly from the country’s semi-precious stones and to witness the growth of the industry, the government of Zimbabwe should decriminalize possession of the stones, Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Secretary for Gemstones and semi-precious stones Mr Privelage Moyo has said.

Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at a workshop organized by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) in Bulawayo,  Moyo said although there is no law that directly speaks for the semi-precious stone industry, there is a need for the government to look into the sector and come up with a law that directly regulates the semi-precious stone industry.

Cutters and traders are reportedly experiencing harassment and unlawful arrests by the police for the possession of semi-precious stones without a licence yet there is no law in the country that specifically address the coloured gemstone industry.

Moyo said it was of importance for the government to come up with a semi-precious stone act to decriminalise the possession of coloured gemstones at the same time curbing smuggling of the stones.

“Government should decriminalize the trading of gemstones so that precious stones are traded through the formal market. This, in turn, will curb the smuggling and leakages of gemstones to other countries,” Moyo said.

The ZELA organized workshop agreed that for the coloured gemstones sector to grow and develop, there is a need for the country to come up with a gemstone policy to guide the producers and investors into the gemstone industry.

Women miners should form syndicates as this would make it easier for them to access information, funding and markets for gemstone production.

The Gemology Centre should be established in Mashonaland West and not in Mutare given that most of the gemstones are produced in Mashonaland West Province.

There is a need to support women to actively participate in the cutting and polishing of gemstones mined in Zimbabwe. This will create more jobs and wealth for the country.

Government departments CSOs need to work together to address the challenges faced by women miners in the gemstone sector.

Privelage Moyo is credited for guiding and assisting miners in identifying semi-precious stones.

Women turn-to artisanal mining to fund agriculture

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Women turn-to artisanal mining to fund agriculture

In an effort to fight against poverty induced by the lockdown pandemic and economic woes the country is experiencing women in the villages of Kadoma have rushed into artisanal mining to fund their farming businesses.

Anerudo Mapuranga

Mining is considered as key to national development and economic resuscitation with the government of the view that mining has all it takes to fund agriculture that the country becomes the breadbasket of Africa again.

The women mining using hard manual labour equipment said they have sought the refuge of the hard and risk artisanal mining because they have no other option to raise capital for Agriculture because farming has not been profitable to fund itself of late.

“We have decided to fund our farming businesses through mining, at least with mining we will not be waiting for aid and government inputs scheme. The prices we are getting from our agriculture output are insignificant for farming to fund itself, artisanal mining, for now, is the only solution.” Mbuya waKupa an artisanal miner said.

The women who go for their mining adventures with their children said there would get a maximum of 1 gram of gold on a good day and artisanal mining has been sustainable in funding their farming business.

“We come to work with our children because that is what we have. We are here only during this season, during the rainy season we go for farming. The maximum gold we get a day is a gram.”

The women also said that artisanal mining was hard as men would want to elbow them away from their mining areas and some would want to steal from them.

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) has been urging the government to enact laws and policies which promote gender parity and protect women in mining.

“Gender mainstreaming across the mining value chain is of paramount importance. The government should enact laws and policies and ensure adherence to Section 17 of the Constitution which calls for gender parity in all spheres.

“The government should support women in mining with the requisite tools to resuscitate their businesses, failure of which could result in some of them failing to continue with their mining operations, thus, plunging them deep into poverty,” Zela said in a statement sometime this year.

The organisation is of the view that the Covid-19 pandemic had negatively affected women run or owned businesses the most, therefore, urged the government to speed up the formalisation of artisanal miners.

“The government should thus ensure it brings finality to the formalisation of artisanal mining. Delays in formalising and regularising artisanal miners continue to affect the sector players whose contribution to the growth and development of Zimbabwe’s economy cannot be overemphasised.”

Tutsi mine pushing to exemplary ASM growth initiative

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Tutsi mine pushing to exemplary ASM growth initiative

A 6-month small scale mine venture in Kadoma, Tutsi mining is proving that small scale and artisanal miners have the capacity to grow to a standard world-class mine.

Rudairo Mapuranga

According to Tutsi Mine Managing Director Mr Thulani Murukayi, the mine which is developing from artisanal mining to small scale has been empowering the community in which they are operating with different initiatives for the past five months.

The mine has been reconstructing and constructing roads, sinking boreholes, employing more than half of its workers from the community and is planning to build a nursery school just behind the mine.

Construction of 30 houses for its workers is also expected to begin in the first half of the coming year, showing that with consistency small scale mining can grow to sustain the economy.

“We are building roads and have managed to sink boreholes, more than half of our workers are coming from the community and we are planning to build a nursery school here.

“We are also planning on building 30 houses for our workers,” Thulani said.

According to Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Mashonaland West province chairperson Mr Timothy Chizuzu addressing workers at the mine the initiative for the development and growth of the small scale and artisanal mining sector through formalization and standardisation to maximize production is being met at Tutsi mine.

Chizuzu however advanced Murukayi to address some things to make his operations attractive to national and international standards.

“We discovered that thy are many things which they need to address but the current is proof enough that our sector has all it takes to take the country to the 2030 vision,” Chizuzu said in part as he addressed workers at Tutsi mine in Kadoma.

According to the ZMF MashWest Chairperson Mr Timothy Chizuzu, standardisation of small-Scale mining through advancing to professional mining is of great significance for small scale Miners to achieve ZMF’s target to contribute US$4 billion in revenue by 2023.

Chizuzu said institutions like the school of mines should work in reciprocal with small scale Miners to achieve a world-class and advanced small scale mine that can mine low grades and very deep.

“Small Scale Miners should be assisted in terms of skills development. We have discovered that the office of mining engineers, geologists and metallurgists are of uttermost importance in the maximization of production to reach the US$12 billion mining industry.  We recommend that institutions like the school of mines should bring their students to Miners to assist in the standardisation process, we need them, they need us” Chizuzu said.

He said his executive was working towards educating Miners to take exploration very serious through their mining journey.

6 Chinese, a Zimbabwean die in an explosion at a Mazoe mine

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6 Chinese, a Zimbabwean die in an explosion at a Mazoe mine

Several people have been killed including a child and five Chinese workers at Sasai Mine in Mazowe after an oxygen tank exploded.   

Vongai Mbara  

This was revealed by the former Minister of Energy Fortune Chasi on his social media page.  

“Very sad development at Saisai mine Mazowe South Ward 20. Oxygen tanks burst killing several people who include 1 child, 5 Chinese workers,” he tweeted.  

He added, “Just for the record, this has not been reported by anyone as yet. This is information coming from the constituency. I have brought it to the attention of the relevant minister.”  

This provoked a lot of social media users who blamed Chinese miners for “cutting corners on safety and security.”  

“The Chinese have slack health and safety controls. It’s unfortunate that the relevant authorities who are supposed to enforce it are either well bribed or they are sleeping on the job,” one user commented on the issue.  

In a statement, the Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed the incident and said it is carrying its investigation. 

“The ZRP is investigating the circumstances in which six foreign nationals, as well as a Zimbabwean, died when some gas cylinders exploded at SAS mine, Lowdale on 07/10/21.” The Police then released a further statement shortly confirming it was six people who had been killed by the explosion.

Some Chinese-owned companies have previously denied allegations that they were flouting safety regulations.  

Mazowe is well known for its mines as the area is rich in several minerals including gold. There have been plenty of mining accidents in the area but these have been mostly on abandoned mines which are then co-opted by artisanal miners.  

BREAKING: Mine Entra Expo 2021 dates announced

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BREAKING: Mine Entra Expo 2021 dates announced

Mine Entra expo 2021 will this year be held on the 3 – 5 of November 2021.

Posting on her Twitter timeline Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Stella Nkomo shared an image with November 3 – 5 as the dates the event will be held.

Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe Nkomo confirmed the Mine Entra was finally happening after a brief hibernation due to the novel coronavirus.

Having been in existence for a successful 24 consecutive years, the expo has built a solid reputation of providing an integral business and networking platform. Regarded as “the platform” for meetings, networking, and sharing of innovative ideas, the objective of the expo is to bring together the cogs that make Zimbabwe’s mining sector continue to move forward.

More to follow…

Eldorado offering US$5000 reward for suspect identification

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Eldorado offering US$5000 reward for suspect identification

Eldorado Mine is offering a US$5 000 reward for anyone with information that may lead to the arrest and identification of suspects involved in a case of attempted murder of one of their security guards which occurred last month.

Shantel Chisango

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) reported that on the 10th of September this year, at around 06:00hours, a security guard at Eldorado Mine was attacked on his way home coming from work.

The victim was viciously attacked with an axe leaving him injured on the hands, legs and jaws.

Currently, the victim is in Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where he was admitted after being helped by a passerby.
Before disappearing into the bush, the suspects robbed the victim of two Itel smartphones, two head caps, and a pair of safety shoes.

ZRP is appealing for anyone with information to contact National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631, Chinhoyi Operations on 0267 2129047, or Police General Headquarters Whatsapp number 0712 800 197, or report to any nearest police station.

AAG to take unruly Chinese miners to task

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AAG to take unruly Chinese miners to task

Affirmative Action Group (AAG) Mashonaland West Province executive is coming up with a task force to take unruly Chinese Miners in the region to order, the group provincial Chairperson Mr Tapiwa Chikondowa has said.

Anerudo Mapuranga and Vongai Mbara

Speaking at the AAG Mashonaland West Province official launch held in Chinhoyi yesterday, Chikondowa said his executive is engaging the Mining Provincial Director Ms Mupindiwe in order to address unruly Chinese Miners for the latter to desist from their notorious habits.

He said Chinese who are mining chrome in Mutorashanga are ill-treating their workers and the community.

“In Mutorashanga, Chinese Miners who are mining chrome are ill-treating workers and community. We need investors who come with money, not investors to borrow. In Chikuti, the Chinese are doing stream bank mining. We tasked the Director of Mines to call all the unruly Chinese in Mashonaland West province, we need to hold them to account for whatever they are doing,” he said.

The Affirmative Action Group (AAG) which recently signed a US$20 million mining equipment deal with a Chinese firm, Lovol International Construction Machinery Group, also called youths and women to come forward and obtain mining equipment to increase mineral production.

Speaking at the launch of the AAG Mashonaland West Chapter in Chinhoyi yesterday, AAG president Mr Mike Chimombe encouraged women and youth to actively take part in the mining industry.

“Youths should play a pivotal role in rebuilding the country’s economy under the Second Republic. The President is on record saying no one will be left behind; so, this is an opportunity for youths to take part in the mining and agriculture sectors.

“We are calling on our youths to get into joint ventures and secure mining and farming equipment from us. Come to AAG and secure mining equipment so that you increase your production capacity,” he said.

Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mashonaland West Honourable Mary Mliswa-Chikoka who was also in attendance added that the inclusion of artisanal miners is vital in the mainstream economy.

“It is key for organisations such as the AAG to be seen taking an active role in mobilising for the lawful, transparent and meaningful entry of our people into the mainstream economy especially magweja as your theme suggest, Protecting the artisanal miners,” she said.

In addition, AAG has partnered with Munyukwa Chibanda Mining Syndicate with a view to empower youths in Mashonaland East by giving them a mining claim in Domboshava.

Fuel prices increase

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Fuel prices increase

Fuel prices in Zimbabwe yesterday increased from an average of US$1,37 to 1,40 for blend and US$1,30 to 1,38 per litre respectively.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) yesterday published the new prices. As usual, the regulator said filling stations that can afford to sell below cap are permitted to do so.

Fuel in places like High Glen, Willowvale usually sell below cap with Puma in the area recently selling petrol at US$1,24 and Mashwede selling at US$1,28 whilst in areas like Westgate Puma fuel always sells at the maximum price regulated by ZERA mainly due to lack of competition. PUMA is the only filling station regularly selling fuel at Westgate with its neighbour Total turning into a white elephant.

The energy system is suddenly in crisis around the world as the cost of oil, natural gas and coal has climbed rapidly in recent months. In China, Britain and elsewhere, fuel shortages and panic buying have led to blackouts and long lines at filling stations.

The situation in the United States is not quite as dire, but oil and gasoline prices are high enough that President Biden has been calling on foreign producers to crank up supply. He is doing so as he simultaneously pushes Congress to address climate change by moving the country away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy and electric cars.

U.S. energy executives and the Wall Street bankers and investors who finance them are not doing anything to bolster production to levels that could bring down prices. The main U.S. oil price jumped nearly 3 per cent on Monday, to about $78 a barrel, a seven-year high, after OPEC and its allies on Monday declined to significantly increase supply.

Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA)

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) is a body corporate established in terms of the Energy Regulatory Authority Act [Chapter 13:23] of 2011. It is mandated to regulate the entire energy sector in Zimbabwe in a fair, transparent, efficient and cost-effective manner for the benefit of the consumers and energy suppliers. ZERA derives its mandate from the Energy Regulatory Authority Act [Chapter 13:23] of 2011 read together with the Electricity Act no 4 of 2002 [Chapter 13:19], the Petroleum Act [Chapter 13:22] of 2006 and subsequent amendments.

New fuel Prices

Diesel 50 US$1,38

Blend E20 US$1,40

 

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