Mnangagwa tells Africa to embrace value addition in mining sector

HARARE – President Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has called on African countries to reject negative narratives about the region’s mining operations and embrace value-addition and beneficiation to ensure higher global trade gains while maximizing benefits for its people.

Speaking at the two-day 8th Ordinary Meeting of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) Experts and Council of Ministers, President Mnangagwa said that the positive performance of the mining sector, including the diamond industry, is expected to play a central role in the attainment of Zimbabwe’s targets.

The country is poised to realize the ambitious US$12 billion mining milestone by the end of this year from about US$2,1 billion annual earnings in 2017 and is on course to becoming an upper middle-class economy by 2030.

The President urged African regional member states to push for the solid growth of the mining sector, especially the precious minerals subsectors and leverage these to drive attainment of the aspirations set out in the African Union Agenda 2063 and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Mnangagwa called for the scaling up of higher value addition and beneficiation of Africa’s vast mineral resource base, saying that ADPA members, as producers of about 75 percent of global diamond output, must be heard louder and clearly within the Kimberley Process by speaking with one voice on the unique concerns of diamond producers in Africa.

Zimbabwe took over the chairmanship of the 19-member organization while at the same time chairing the apex global diamonds body, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Mnangagwa called for the crafting of deliberate policies that mainstream beneficiation of minerals for local benefits, and commended the move by ADPA to allow the involvement of observers, stakeholders, and civil society, saying that such an inclusive formation must enhance complementarity towards meeting the vision, plans, and national interest of the region.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who also attended the conference, said the platform was critical in helping Africa explore avenues of controlling the industry and ensuring maximum local benefits.

Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando, said the meeting was critical for ADPA to execute its mandate fully, and vowed to continue to steer the organization forward, taking from where the outgoing chairperson left.

Outgoing ADPA chair, who is also Tanzanian Minister of Minerals, Doto Biteko, said he was pleased to hand over the chairmanship of ADPA to his Zimbabwean counterpart, Minister Chitando.