‘Manizhe Iron and Steel, a culmination of win-win relationship with China’
Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa
The signature, Manizhe based Dinson Iron and Steel Company, whose ground-breaking ceremony took place earlier this week is a culmination of the Government’s bold decision to seek and harness mutually beneficial, comprehensive and strategic relations between Harare and Beijing, President Mnangagwa has said.
President Mnangagwa said this while speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony of Dinson Iron and Steel Company which will be the biggest iron and steel company in Africa which is being established in Mvuma by Chinese company Tsingshan Group on Thursday.
President Mnangagwa said, “Allow me, on behalf of the people and Government of Zimbabwe and indeed on my own behalf, to convey my profound gratitude to the People’s Republic of China and His Excellency, President Xi Jingping, for the support Zimbabwe continues to receive under the win-win Beijing Consensus, Reform and Opening of the Economy Policy. This has seen our country benefiting from a wide range of Chinese investments across all sectors of the economy.”
The ground breaking ceremony took place against a backdrop of an array of new investments and exploration projects, and the resuscitation of old mines.
The Iron and Steel manufacturing plant being established is a paradigm shifting milestone in the country’s journey towards modernisation and industrialisation. The Manizhe based Iron and Steel Plant constitutes a critical building block towards the realisation of the US$12 billion mining economy and our national Vision 2030 and is expected to produce about 600 000 tonnes of steel per annum, over and above other related products.
The biggest Iron and Steel plant is envisaged to leap-frog the country to emerge as a dynamic industrial hub, churning out a broad range of value added, “Made in Zimbabwe” iron and steel products, for both local and international markets.
President Mnangagwa said, “As Zimbabwe we recognise and acknowledge the Dinson Iron and Steel Company, a global entity in the sector, for the confidence it continues to show in the policies of the Second Republic through its increased investments. I, therefore, congratulate the Dinson group, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Traditional Leaders and communities of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Midlands Provinces, among other stakeholders, for the unity of purpose, which has made this project a reality”
The US$1billion Dinson Iron and Steel Company Plant which is already having positive spin-offs is one of the Tsingshan Group’s projects which also include chrome smelting and coke production in Mashonaland West and Matabeleland North Provinces, respectively.
The projects provide both ferro-chrome and coke, which are a requisite throughput for a competitive and efficient iron and steel value chain. The employment and empowerment opportunities among other aspects will go a long way towards improving the quality of life of the people, especially women and the youth.
The project is transforming the social services and infrastructure outlook of the surrounding part of the country through the construction of other enabling infrastructure that includes construction of a dam, roads, railway track, power line, bridges, schools, health facilities and accommodation. A new Smart City is envisaged to be developed and is anchored by this strategic national project.
President Mnangagwa said, “The emerging Iron and Steel Industrial Park here at Manhize will definitely generate downstream and upstream opportunities. It is, therefore, against this background that I urge local communities, companies and small to medium enterprises, particularly women and the youth, to strategically position themselves to take maximum advantage of the attendant opportunities associated with this national strategic project.”
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