Zimbabwe is set to convene a mining investments conference late next month as it tries to build a future without former president Robert Mugabe, who was elbowed out last November in a de-facto military coup.
The event, organised by Mining Report, would run from 27 to 28 February in the capital, Harare.
“Zimbabwe is open for business,” screamed a statement issued by the organisers as they implore investors to make their way to Harare for the conference, which would be graced by government officials.
Zimbabwe had investment opportunities in diamonds, gold, platinum, coal, chrome, nickel, copper, lithium, tin, tantalite, iron ore, coal bed methane, natural gas, among other minerals.
The country had the second largest deposits of platinum in the world and was previously said to have about 30 percent of global known diamond reserves.
“About 60 percent of the country’s land is said to comprise on ancient rocks renowned worldwide for hosting rich varieties of minerals resources including platinum, diamonds, gold, base metals (for example nickel, copper, zinc and lead) and industrial minerals (limestones, phosphates, clay and dolomites),” noted Mining Report.
“Zimbabwe has a huge and highly diversified mineral resource base dominated by two prominent geological features namely the famous Great Dyke and the ancient Greenstone Belts, also known as Gold Belts.”
Zimbabwe said last month that it would amend its empowerment law, but diamonds and platinum would remain confined to the 51/49 indigenisation threshold.
Mining contributes about 50 percent of the country’s total export earnings.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished