In an endeavour to ensure workers and stakeholders including communities are not affected by a sudden closure, Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (Zisco) is developing a comprehensive closure strategy that will see through all problems created by a sudden shutdown of the mining value chain company.
Rudairo Mapuranga
The company is looking at closure problems such as financial obligations (debt), environmental rehabilitation, legal affairs and social corporate responsibility expectations.
Mine closure planning involves planning effectively for the after-mining landscape that is all activities required before, during, and after the operating life of a mine that is needed to produce an acceptable landscape economically.
Mine closure planning has to be done at the starting point of the mining operations and needs periodic review and revision during its life cycle to cope with the market due to geotechnical constraints, safety and economic risks, social and environmental challenges.
Speaking to the Media on the sidelines of the Zisco Steel Media tour in Redcliff on Wednesday, the company body Chairman Engineer Martin Manuhwa said his company was working to establish a strategic and comprehensive closure plan that will ensure that stakeholders are not affected by an unplanned closure.
“Our approach is from cradle to cradle, so as we design the new systems, we must also have a demolition plan and recycling plan. As Zisco we believe in the circular economy where most of the scrap is recycled. There will be no waste as we go forward, we really believe in the circular plan and we will make a strategic and comprehensive closure plan after the feasibility study to ensure that mine closure minimally affects stakeholders,” Engineer Manuhwa said.
Engineer Martin Manuhwa said part of the closure strategy is to ensure that workers will not be owed money by the company after closure as was the case with the Shutdown of the iron mining, Steel manufacturing and value addition company.
It should be noted that planning for mine closure is a complex process because it encompasses the decommissioning project, land rehabilitation, post-closure monitoring, and the necessary provisions for future land management after the mining cycle is complete.
Closure plan development includes in-house specialists such as senior management, mine engineering, environment, external affairs, legal and financial staff. This internal team, frequently led by consulting specialists to assist in “workshopping” the risks and opportunities presented by integrated closure planning, can come out of the closure planning process with stronger working relationships and a better understanding of the business.
According to Kuvimba, Mining is expected to restart soon to create cash and revenue flows to power the resuscitation. Engineer Martin Manuhwa said the new investor is putting in over US$300 million to start rebuilding ZiscoSteel using modern technologies to produce high-grade steel.
The resuscitation of ZiscoSteel hinges on generating cash from mining operations and investing the proceeds to modernise and rebuild the steelworks. The strategy was accepted by experts as the most realistic way to timely revive the giant steel company
Zisco group chief executive officer Dr Engineer Farai Maronga said his company was a national asset whose revival was crucial to the country’s economy.
“Zisco is an integrated company that started from the mining of iron ore, manufacture of steel and value addition by Lancashire Steel. So the company covers the whole mining value chain showing that it’s pivotal for the country’s economic resuscitation,” he said.