By Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa
BULAWAYO – His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened the 27th edition of the Mining, Engineering and Transport (Mine Entra) Expo in Bulawayo today, emphasizing the importance of value addition, sustainable practices, and technological advancement within the mining sector. “This event is occurring at a time when Zimbabwe’s mining sector continues to witness exponential growth across all the mining sub-sectors,” President Mnangagwa stated, highlighting the sector’s ongoing transformation.
He praised the expo’s role in connecting industry players, stating, “I applaud the organisers of this premier exhibition and conference for consistently convening for close to three decades.” President Mnangagwa also noted the quality of exhibits, adding, “this is a reflection that the Expo has grown to be a credible platform for connecting industry stakeholders, investors, and professionals.”
The President emphasized the alignment of this year’s theme with government policy: “The theme of this year’s Mine Entra, ‘Unearthing Success: The Mining Value Chains, Innovation and Industrialisation Nexus’, resonates with my Government’s ongoing policy thrust of mineral value addition and beneficiation.”
President Mnangagwa underscored the importance of minerals in modern life, noting, “everything we depend on is either made from minerals or relies on minerals for its production.” He urged the sector to adapt, saying, “the urgent challenge, therefore, is not only to produce more but to also produce better. The benefits of mining should extend beyond mere extractive processes to positively impact communities and the planet as a whole.”
He challenged mining companies to be active towards beneficiation and value addition, noting that, “bold decisions must be taken within the sector for the requisite transformative upward and downstream linkages to speed up the expansion of mineral beneficiation and value addition.”
President Mnangagwa further encouraged innovation highlighting that, “the innovation and technology nexus should result in not only improved efficiencies, reduced costs and adherence to the concerns of communities and regulatory authorities but the accelerated industrialisation and modernisation of our country.”
On environmental responsibility, President Mnangagwa urged mining companies to play their part, stating, “we have a duty to protect our environment for both present and future generations. Hence, mining houses and other stakeholders have the obligation to commit to strict adherence to environmental regulations while maintaining the social licence to operate.”
He further reiterated the government’s support towards the mining sector. “The Second Republic will continue to leverage the mining sector to support broader industrial and technological advancements. The mining sector is welcome to dialogue with my Government to improve the environment, guided by global trends as well as the needs of our economy and communities,” President Mnangagwa said.
Concluding his address, President Mnangagwa stated, “Zimbabwe stands ready to welcome more investments in the mining sector for win-win benefits as we build our great motherland, Zimbabwe, brick by brick and stone upon stone.” He then officially opened the expo, wishing participants “fruitful deliberations.”
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