TINASHE MAKICHI MOTI Group will double its production by 100% to 20 000 tonnes of chrome in the next two months from the current 10 000 tonnes as the diversified mining group targets a blitzkrieg in mineral production at its Midlands-based African Chrome Fields (ACF).
The mining company is targeting a massive revamp in mineral production at its Zimbabwean mining operations, which were affected by the two-year ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This comes after rumours circulated that the diversified investment group was considering divesting from Zimbabwe, citing operational challenges.
A visit by the Zimbabwe Independent saw a different picture where most employees, who had left during the height of the pandemic, having since been rehired.
ACF faced serious operations challenges and this was compounded by the world being thrust into turmoil created by the Covid-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020. Many governments around the world, including Zimbabwe, were forced into mandatory lockdowns that severely limited the movement of people to curb the spread of the pandemic.
Currently, the miner is operating five processing plants out of seven and there are heightened efforts to open plant number six, which is also the biggest in terms of capacity. That will see the company boosting its production to record levels.
In an interview, Moti Group director Mikaeel Moti told the Independent that the mining company was confident of future prospects hence the latest investment towards reviving operations.
“Like any other company we faced Covid-19 related challenges but we have since revived all our processing plants at ACR and there are current efforts to open plant number 6 which is the biggest,” Moti said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“We have plans to boost production from the current 10 000 tonnes per month to 20 000 in the near-short space of time. While we are busy reviving the operations there are a number of issues that we are driving as a good corporate citizen.”
He said there are also plans to operationalise another processing plant at the mine which is one of its kind. On corporate social responsibility, Moti said the company has lined up a number of projects to drive the interests of the community. That entails the company’s current efforts to rehabilitate mined areas and develop more sustainable projects like forestry, agriculture, and wildlife conservation.
“On the mined areas, we have been rehabilitating that area so that it becomes beneficial to the community. That rehabilitated land will see us engaging in agriculture whose produce will be sold to the people at the mine while the proceeds will be ploughed back to the community,” he said.
“We are also looking at developing health facilities at the mine and surrounding areas as well as building schools for the benefit of the community. We are not just mining but we are also looking at modernising the area through coming up with the best infrastructure for the country.”
The diversified miner is also targeting other mining opportunities in lithium, platinum group metals and gold in Zimbabwe.
In an attempt to meet the challenges of Covid-19, ACF was forced to rationalise its operations during 2020.
Moti said it was the zeal of the management and staff that forged ahead with operations since November 2020 and production was on an upward trajectory ever since.
Towards the end of 2021, ACF was operating three of its seven sites but there has been a massive improvement following capital injection.
“We are in Zimbabwe to stay and our plans for Zimbabwe are huge. We see a future in this country,” Moti said.
The company is also in partnership with a retail group, Choppies, which was currently crafting a sophisticated strategy to provide a sustainable way to address the current price headache in Zimbabwe.
Moti Group is a diversified company whose core purpose lies in driving sustainable economic development across southern Africa. The group is home to a wide range of businesses spanning property development, car financing, security services, aviation, mining, transport and logistics.
