Mining Companies urged to Embrace technology
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has challenged Zimbabwean mining companies to invest in technology, in order to improve sustainable mining and unlock Zimbabwe’s mining fortunes.
Prince Sunduzani
The President said this while commissioning the RioZim Biox plant in Kadoma this month.
He called upon mining houses to embrace sustainable extraction and utilization of the country’s resources.
The mining sector needs to foster innovation to remain competitive. Integrating technological innovation into its practices can result in reduced costs, increased productivity and improved worker safety for the mining sector.
“The extraction of our mineral resources plays an important part in the economic social and technological development of Zimbabwe through industrial development employment creation as well as linkages with the agricultural sector among others. This biological oxidation plant attests to the ongoing scaling up and the expansion of production works at existing mines exploration activities resuscitation of closed minds and opening of human minds under the second republic,” said President Mnangagwa.
He also called upon young innovators dotted across the country’s innovation hubs to put their focus on coming up with innovations that will be valuable to the mining industry.
“I challenge our young talented boys and girls at our innovation arms and industrial parks to undertake more research and innovation to identify characteristics select and develop Bioprocesses for industrial and commercial applications. As you can see in 1968 no one thought about this (Biox plant) but with the development application of research in science see where we are now. In line with the second republic’s quest for a knowledge-based innovation technology-driven economy, I call upon other mining houses in the country to follow this good example set by Rio Zim for sustainable extraction and utilization of our rich mineral resources across the country,” Mnangagwa said.
Rapid advances in technological innovation, including automation, digitization, and electrification, are having a fundamental impact on the mining sector.
A few technologies reshaping the sector include autonomous vehicles, automated drilling and tunnel-boring systems, drones and smart sensors.