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Cde Ncube

Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
Shabanie and Mashaba Mine (SMM) has started recruiting workers in preparation for reopening after Government successfully raised funds to resume operations.

More than 800 people are expected to be recruited by the firm this year. In an interview after meeting SMM management last Friday, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Owen Ncube said Government was happy with progress at the mine.

SMM, according to Minister Ncube, will hire 153 workers by March and increase the number to 800 by December. Part of the money to reopen the mine was raised through reprocessed dump, which contains other minerals such as manganese, gold and chrome.

“According to the presentation from SMM employees, they have got 50 workers now, a figure that will increase to 153 by March. By December, they expect to have employed 800 workers and these include former and new employees to work at the dump. So we are very happy with progress here,” said Minister Ncube.

Minister Ncube said SMM management was particularly happy with the efficiency of the new administration, which had expeditiously processed the paper work for the mine to resume operations.

This was not the case in the past, they said. Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando told Parliament recently that funds raised from reprocessing the dump would be used to reopen Mashaba Mine. He noted that Government had not yet found an investor for SMM.

“The mine falls under ZMDC at the moment, so what is happening is Government is working together with the administrator and ZMDC (Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation) on plans to ensure that the mine or some of the operations get back to generating employment and revenue for the country,” he said.