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VP Mnangagwa

From Kuda Bwititi in BELARUS
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday toured the Belaz Mining Manufacture Company here and said Zimbabwe will benefit immensely from cooperating with the giant firm, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy duty mining equipment.

The Belaz Company is renowned for manufacturing the world’s largest dump trucks, with capacity to move a massive 450 metric tonnes of ore at one go.

Speaking after touring the plant on the outskirts of the capital Minsk yesterday, Vice President Mnangagwa said by working with Belaz, Zimbabwe can achieve its goal of becoming a mining powerhouse.

“We have recognised from our discussions that Belarus is at the top of the range in terms of mining machinery. We are ready to deepen and broaden our economic ties with Belaz. Zimbabwe will soon grow into a mining giant and our partnership with the company will help us realise this dream.”

VP Mnangagwa said owing to the imposition of US sanctions on Harare, Zimbabwe should shun western companies that have traditionally supplied mining equipment, so as to pave way for the enhancement of cooperation with firms such as Belaz, which employs 10 000 workers.

“We have companies from America, which have been supplying such machinery to us. Because of the sanctions imposed on us, it is difficult for such companies to do business with us. We do not see Belarus imposing sanctions on us, so we need to deepen relations with Belaz and do away with other companies.”

Vice President Mnangagwa said he will, today sign agreements worth up to $150 million to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.

The agreements will be anchored on four sectors, which are mining equipment, road and dam construction and agriculture.

Prior to signing the agreements, Vice President Mnangagwa will hold talks with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

“I have been sent by my President to sign agreements with Belarus. The initial agreements are worth between $120 million and $150 million. The agreements we are signing tomorrow (today) are in four areas; mining equipment, road construction, dam construction and agriculture.”

Speaking during the tour, Belaz director general, Mr Peter Parkhomchik said his company is on the verge of finalising arrangements with a number of Zimbabwean mining firms following the recent deal, which saw the firm supplying machinery to Hwange Colliery.

“We are negotiating other agreements regarding other deals on extraction of diamonds, gold, chrome and other minerals. When our representative was in Zimbabwe recently, we reached agreements regarding financing with the Africa Development Bank. Your country is very rich in minerals, we have the equipment, so our relationship will be mutually beneficial,” he said.

As well as dump trucks, Belaz also manufactures tractors, road rebuilding equipment, railway freight cars, bulk mineral fertilizers and other heavy duty equipment.

Belaz exemplifies the resilience of Belarus as a dynamic country, which has a sound economy despite economic sanctions that have been imposed on Minsk by the United States and the European Union.

As well as the imposition of the western sanctions, Belarus also shares a lot in common with Zimbabwe as it is a land locked nation with a high adult literacy rate of more than 99 percent.

Zimbabwe is increasingly looking to strengthen ties with friendly nations from the East, as the West has obdurately refused to remove its skewed policy on the Zanu-PF government while remaining sympathetic to opposition parties and other functionaries working against the ruling party.