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Mukudzei Chingwere

Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe’s mining value addition laboratory under construction at Gwanda State University is almost complete and will start working next year, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira said yesterday.

Speaking after the Cabinet meeting in Harare he said: “The coming of the laboratory is expected to pace up growth in the mining sector, which has contributed immensely to the growth of the country’s gross domestic product.

In 2021, mineral production recorded a growth of 5,9 percent, while last year the sector grew by 10,5 percent, exceeding the National Development Strategy 1 target of 7,4 percent.

President Mnangagwa has said economic sectors like mining and agriculture should now work on value addition, and tertiary institutions have been capacitated with innovation hubs to assist and so help drive the economic growth.

“We are building a mining innovation value addition laboratory at Gwanda State University, and on Friday last week it was at 95 percent completion when His Excellency the President, Dr ED Mnangagwa, inspected it,” said Prof Murwira.

“We are expecting that this laboratory will be completed before 15 December in terms of the general infrastructure itself. We expect equipment during the first quarter of next year. We expect it to be the most sophisticated mining and minerals laboratory in Zimbabwe within the coming year because minerals are our heritage as well as agriculture.

“So, as you have seen, we have been focusing more on mineral value addition and agricultural value addition. The agricultural value addition has been very advanced; that is why we are putting up cooking oil plants and so forth and so on.”

Prof Murwira said Government was starting to concentrate more now on minerals value addition and the first laboratory of that high level sophistication was at Gwanda State University.

“Next year we will be using it to actually understand our minerals and value add for the benefit of our people,” said Prof Murwira.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere updated progress on projects under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology.

The establishment of a cooking oil plant in Mutoko is at 65 percent completion and construction of an Innovation Hub at Great Zimbabwe University is now complete.

“The Mutare Teacher’s College Baobab Juice Project is now complete, establishment of Integrated Skills Expansion Outreach Programme (ISEOP 2023) is complete having trained 170 people to skilled worker Class 4 level, of the targeted 140 people.”

Cabinet also received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the third 100-Day Cycle of 2023, as presented by the Ministers of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Dr Muswere said the refurbishment of the ambassador’s residence in Abuja, Nigeria, is 15 percent complete, the refurbishment of the ambassador’s residence in Berlin, Germany, is 78 percent complete, the refurbishment of ambassador’s residence in London, Britain, is 85 percent complete.

The refurbishment of chanceries and consulates is at various stages of completion: Pretoria in South Africa is 100 percent, Maputo in Mozambique 95 percent, Beira in Mozambique 98 percent and Abuja in Nigeria 20 complete.

In the tourism sector, construction of facilities is 100 percent complete at Lenon Hotel in Mutare, Elephant Lodge in Buhera, Tamarind Lodges in Nyanga, Paradise Lodge in Chiredzi, Travellers Rest Lodge in Beitbridge, Dzimbabwe Lodge in Kariba, and Water Front Resort Development Project in Kariba.

“The Diana’s Pools Community Based Tourism Project, Umzingwane, Matabeleland South is at 100 percent of completion,” said Dr Muswere.

“The Kore Kore Cultural Village Community Based Tourism Project in Makonde District, Mashonaland West Province is complete with equipment comprising cooking utensils and traditional artefacts for display at the cultural village having been fully procured.”