400 more jobs for Kamativi

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

 Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti

Nqobile Tshili in HWANGE

FOUR hundred more jobs will be created by the end of this year at the formerly defunct Kamativi Tin Mine in Matabeleland North Province where pan-African mining giant, Bravura Group, is setting up a second lithium processing plant, in yet another milestone investment ushered in by the Second Republic.

The Bravura Lithium Project is situated within the Kamativi Tin compound and shares boundary with the Chinese owned Kamativi Mining Company (KMC), which was officially commissioned by President Mnangagwa last year.

Bravura’s initial 400 employs workers will add to the 1 200 workers who were employed by KMC last year.

Preparatory processes to set up the massive plant are underway on site with the Nigerian investor hinting that installation works would commence in April with operations resume before the end of the year.

Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, who was accompanied by Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Richard Moyo and senior company managers, visited the site yesterday and were briefed that all the equipment has been brought to the ground ahead of installation.

The company also handed over six houses to the Government as part of the relocation plans to those who would have their homes demolished to pave way for the project.

Bravura constructed four by eight roomed houses and two, nine-roomed-houses with Government recommending that the houses be partitioned to accommodate two families as they were too big for a single family.

Bravura Lithium Project head, Engineer Tafadzwa Muridzi, said following the delivery of equipment, they will commence installation next month.

“In terms of timelines, we expect that in April we will start the construction of the plant. We will start with the plant foundations. This is a 10-key project, meaning the vendor who manufactured the plant will be coming to the ground for the installations,” she said.

“After that installation then comes the commissioning of the plant. We anticipate that all that will happen from April to the end of the year and then we should be able to run,” said Eng Muridzi.

She said the investment was substantial and will contribute to national economic growth while uplifting lives of ordinary people in Kamativi.

Eng Muridzi said already the company is incurring costs as it has employed staff who are doing the preliminary works.

“This is a significant project for Zimbabwe because we will be contributing towards the total lithium that will be processed within the country,” she said.

“This will add to the Gross Domestic Product that is generated for the country. So, we will be playing our significant part in ensuring that value rises and in addition, we will be creating employment and developing the community itself. This will contribute a lot towards development within the country,” said Eng Muridzi.

In his remarks, Eng Muguti said it was exciting that Zimbabwe was not just attracting Asian and European investors but continental investors as well.

“We are quite excited that this is our own African brother, Bravura brothers and sisters from Nigeria who have come to take advantage of the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ policy,” he said.

“His Excellency (President Mnangagwa), did met the investors last year and gave them all the blessings to come and invest. As you are aware, Kamative Tin has been closed for 30 years, it is quite exciting that we have KMC, our Chinese investors on the other side of the mountain, we also have an African investor,” said Eng Muguti.

“All along we have been seeing the Asian investors and European investors but there has been a few African investors. So, for the Nigerian Federal Government through its investors to start coming into Kamativi and start uplifting this community is quite good.”

He said he was informed that the plant will employ at least 400 workers, which will transform lives.

Eng Muguti also encouraged the company to conduct on-the-job training for some of the programmes as opposed to relying on skilled employees only, which will leave out the majority of the locals.