ZMF on local equipment drive
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has noted that there is a need for miners to buy locally manufactured mining equipment as most of the imported ones had a short life span.
Speaking at the ZMF service providers strategic meeting in Bulawayo on Friday, ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said she had engaged the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development so that they could meet with local engineers and the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.
“I talked to the Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister to say would it not be feasible that we could have a meeting with him, the local engineers and our Mines and Mining Development Minister with regards to this endless importation of equipment.
We have technical universities especially that have capacity to actually produce similar equipment. When we were growing up, we used to have those good wheelbarrows. The introduction of education 5.0 is quite essential in the sense that our local graduates are able to come up with innovations that can make Zimbabweans use and rely on tailor-made home-grown solutions.”
Ms Rushwaya said the ZMF website that was launched last week was meant to bring to the attention of miners genuine suppliers and service providers so that they do not continue falling prey to bogus ones.
“You will be able to identify manufacturers and their locations and how best they can assist you. Also, to cut down on costs of getting a geologist very far from you, on our website you will get the one who specialises in a specific area that you are in and this also assists to avoid over pegging in some areas,” she said.
She also noted that as the country moves towards the attainment of vision 2030, ZMF was working on having capacity to get land and properties to build offices in every city to cater for over 1,5 million unregistered artisanal miners. Tierra Chemicals managing director and southern region suppliers committee chairperson Mr Edward Chengeta said there was a need for suppliers to come together and work on supplying wholesome packages.
“As suppliers there is a need for back-to-back partnerships, when someone is doing head gears and not doing chemicals why can’t we partner and complement each other?” said Mr Chengeta.
Midlands Metals Private Limited Work sales and marketing manager Mr Ignatius Hege bemoaned the exportation of scrap metal.
“We need Government’s support to say that let’s stop the exportation of scrap because it is making life difficult for us. If we do not get the scrap metal, we are not in a position to manufacture consumables for the mines, yet mining a key economic driver at the moment,” said Mr Hege.
The Sunday News