Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando will be the guest of honour at the Minex Southern region expo to be held in Zvishavane on the 13th of June, Great Dyke News 24 reports.
In an interview with Great Dyke News 24, Minister Chitando said his main aim is to interface with relevant stakeholders within the agriculture and mining value chains.
“Yes l’m coming to Zvishavane for the Minex Expo on the 13th of June . We want to interface, update each other and continue to focus on the development of the mining industry at the same time looking at the interface with various stakeholders in agriculture.
“My message to all miners in the Southern Region is simple, we must all support His Excellency’s vision 2030, l’m coming to preach the message that (nyika inovakwa nevene vayo) a country is built by its own people and as an industry, we continue to make sure that the 2030 vision is realised sooner than later,” he said.
Speaking to Great Dyke News 24 some of the miners said they are looking forward to the event to discuss some of the challenges facing miners in the southern region.
“We are looking forward to seeing the minister himself so that he can address our issues. As women miners we are supporting his vision of attaining a 12 billion mining industry. We cant wait to see him addressing us for the first time,” said Ester Chirasha a woman miner from Zvishavane.
“We are inviting all the small-scale miners, all associations, and all stakeholders to come to the Minex exhibition taking place in Zvishavane on the 13th of June. Please don’t miss out.
“We are also going to be graced by the leadership of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation. We also want to welcome those from Matabeleland South including their provincial leadership . As the ZMF provincial leadership of Midlands province, l would like to say people should come in their numbers to grace this occasion.
“We are going to have a lot of small-scale miners from different districts within the Midlands province and we are expecting a lot of miners from Matabeleland province, from places like Filabusi, Insiza district, Gwanda, as well as a lot of miners from Bubi. We also have a lot of invitations which we have sent to Masvingo province and Manicaland province, so we are expecting a lot of miners,” said the Zimbabwe Miners Federation Midlands province chairperson Makumba Nyenje.
The organisers urged small-scale miners, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders to attend the event, which is critical for forming long-term relationships, selling mining equipment and services, and providing critical information to miners.
“It’s a great opportunity for mining value chain players, regulators, and stakeholders to meet. Minex will invite financiers, equipment suppliers, buyers, regulatory authorities, and small-scale miners to the event, creating dialoguing and sales opportunities.
“Minex will also focus on addressing small-scale miners’ concerns on safety, health, and environmental issues, hence our partnership with ZIMSHEC, “ said Minex Marketing Executive Kudzai Muranda.
The Minex expo will be graced by delegates from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe Miners Federation, Fidelity Printers, and Refiners, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, National Social Security Authority (NSSA), Minerals Border Control Unit (MBCU), Mimosa, Zimshec, and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA).
Minex is a physical and virtual information platform designed to ensure that the mining value chain is brought together for sustainable economic growth.
It connects small-scale miners with leading stakeholders in the mining sector including suppliers, buyers, financial institutions, policymakers, and the regulatory authorities.
