The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Business Reporter
A CHINESE firm, Ming Chang Sino-Africa Mining Investments has invested about $3 million in setting up a state-of-the-art lime production plant in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province.
Ming Chang Sino-Africa Mining Investments executive manager Mr Johnson Xie said construction and commissioning of the plant is expected to be done early next year.
“We are looking at commissioning the plant at the end of January or in February. We haven’t completed construction work as we are still waiting for other consignments of material which is being shipped from China. We have invested about $2 million to $3 million on this project,” said Mr Johnson.
Lime is a corrosive base mineral that is most commonly used as a cement additive. Lime is also a useful and natural pesticide and fungicide with proven benefits for plants and crops.
Mr Johnson said as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility it had already installed piped water to a compound situated near its plant.
The plant’s manager said the company’s mine life is estimated to be over 70 years while its plant has the capacity to produce 100 tonnes of lime a day.
“The plant is highly automated and as such we won’t be employing a huge number. We are looking at employing about 30 people,” he said.
Ming Chang Sino-Africa Mining Investments also runs gold operations in the Midlands Province where it commissioned a $7 million gold refinery in Kwekwe capable of processing 10 000 tonnes of ore per hour in 2015.
The refinery followed a $4 million gold milling plant in Shamva in Mashonaland Central set up by the company in 2014.
Bubi Rural District Council chief executive officer Mr Patson Mlilo said the company had already started mining activities.
“I can confirm that we have a Chinese company that is constructing a lime production plant in ward 22. In actual fact the mine has already started extracting the mineral in preparation of processing it at its plant. As a local authority we are very excited about this positive development.
“We are quite grateful that this company has chosen to invest in our area. It should, however, be mindful that the resources belong to the community and thus the need to exercise corporate social responsibility. We will be ready to offer them our support if need be,” said Mr Mlilo.
He said the local authority has come up with a master plan aimed at promoting and attracting investment into the district.
“One of our priority areas as a local authority is to attract investment and as such we are working on providing a good environment for investors and we believe we can offer one, to add to that we have adopted the Ease of Doing Business concept. We are still inviting other potential investors to come and invest, especially in the mining sector as we have numerous untapped minerals in our district,” said Mr Mlilo.
@DNsingo
