Parliament Lauds Mining Village at Harare Agriculture Show
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, chaired by Hon. Remigious Matangira, has expressed admiration for the mining village at the 114th edition of the Harare Agriculture Show.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Hon. Matangira urged more mining companies to showcase their corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and strategies at such exhibitions.
This year’s show features three prominent mining companies—Mimosa Mining Company, Zimplats, and the Zimbabwe Diamond Consolidated Company (ZCDC)—all of which are highlighting their CSR initiatives, particularly those related to agriculture.
On Tuesday, Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi officially opened the 114th edition of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS). Running from Monday until Saturday at the Exhibition Park in Harare, this year’s event, themed “Cultivating Prosperity: Growing Business. Innovating for Change. Nurturing Our Future,” is expected to attract over 200,000 visitors.
Hon. Matangira commended the mining village at ZAS, describing it as highly impressive. He called on companies to maintain the momentum and encourage others to showcase their work, particularly in agriculture.
“To be very honest, this is very impressive. I did not expect this, especially given the decline in base mineral prices. I was pleasantly surprised by the strength displayed by our Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) miners. It’s very positive. We have visited the ZCDC stand, a diamond company, as well as Mimosa, Zimplats, and, of course, the Ministry of Mines,” Matangira said.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining this momentum and encouraging broader participation from the mining sector.
“More companies should be motivated to exhibit. For example, we anticipated participation from Freda Rebecca in the gold sector and Blanket Mine, owned by Caledonia Mining Corporation.”
Hon. Matangira further highlighted that mining companies’ participation in the Agriculture Show helps market Zimbabwe as a brand, showcasing the country’s potential and attracting investment.
“We want to market Zimbabwe because our President, His Excellency E.D. Mnangagwa, has declared that Zimbabwe is open for business. We have faced challenges like the El Niño phenomenon, so now we rely heavily on mining. The mining sector, supported by initiatives like this, showcases what Zimbabwe has to offer, helping to attract more investors to the country,” Matangira said.