The Sunday Mail
Chief Reporter
Top Belarus Company, Belaz Engineering, has struck a deal with the Government to supply mining equipment worth US$350 million to boost the capacity of the newly formed Zimbabwe Diamond Consolidated Company.
Diamonds
The ZDCC, which is an amalgamation of seven companies that were mining diamonds in Marange, is taking shape amid plans to ensure that it becomes fully operational during the course of the year to boost diamond production.
With alluvial diamond resources running out in Marange, deep seated mining is required to fully exploit the resource in the rich fields. Deep seated mining is capital intensive and requires heavy duty equipment.
Belaz Engineering is one of the most renowned manufacturers of mining equipment in the world with a reputation of producing some of the most effective extracting machines.
Last year, Marange’s diamond production declined by 36 percent during the first quarter of the year.
However, experts believe that the Marange area still possesses large amounts of conglomerate stones that have remain largely untapped.
“Although the alluvial diamonds are depleting, we still believe that there are large amounts of conglomerate and deep seated diamonds in Marange,” said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Professor Francis Gudyanga.
In an interview last week, Professor Gudyanga said the equipment from Belarus will to arrive soon.
“I can confirm that indeed the Ministry made an agreement with a Belarus firm, which will supply the equipment for the diamond consolidated company.
“The modalities, such as when the equipment will arrive and other finer details of the deal are being fine-tuned,” he said.
Professor Gudyanga said the equipment will ramp up production and re-position the country as a leading producer of the precious stones.
“This equipment will obviously increase the capacity of the company and boost production at the mines,” he said.
At its peak, Zimbabwe was regarded as a leading supplier of rough diamonds on the world market by volume.
Belaz Engineering has agreed to provide the equipment as part of cooperation agreements between the two countries.
A delegation led by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Belarus last year.
During the VP’s visit, Belaz managing director Mr Peter Parkhomchik pledged that his company would engage in long term cooperation with Zimbabwe.
To date, Belaz has provided the equipment that is in use at Hwange Colliery.
Mr Parkhomchik said the mining equipment will be provided on concessional loans.
Belarus and Zimbabwe have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate financing through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the Development Bank of Belarus and the PTA bank.
