Zimpapers Logo

Minister Walter Chidhakwa

Prosper Ndlovu in Victoria Falls
AFRICA should develop its own think tanks and expedite the establishment of the African Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) to accelerate increased benefits from exploitation of mineral resources and creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in unlocking the economy, Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa, said yesterday.

Speaking during the on-going Ordinary Session of the Fourth African Union Conference of  ministers responsible for mineral resources development, the minister said it was high time Africa spoke with one voice in its quest to achieve economic independence and sustainable development.

He said several investment bottlenecks inherited from colonial governments continue to hamper meaningful growth of African economies, years after the attainment of independence and called for their urgent removal.

Chidhakwa said the continent should take advantage of the demand for its vast mineral wealth to develop robust beneficiation and value addition industries in line with the African Mining Vision (AMV) – adopted by Heads of State in February 2009.

AMV is Africa’s own holistic response to tackling the paradox of great mineral wealth existing side by side with pervasive poverty.

It advocates thinking outside the “mining box” focusing on among other things – attaining sustainable mining operations through integrating the sector much better into development policies at local, national and regional levels.

“Regional cooperation and integration are essential to reduce transaction costs, establish intra-regional synergies, enhance the continent’s competitiveness and realise economies of scale that would catalyse minerals cluster development.

“There’s a need to expedite intra-regional alignment of laws, regulations and fiscal regimes for goods, services, capital and other factors to freely flow in regional spaces,” said Chidhakwa.

The minister said while financing the change was a challenge due to resource constraints, the continent needs to fight for its space as an attractive investment destination for both domestic and foreign investors.

He urged member states to invest in capacity building and institutional strengthening to ensure that they negotiate with international mining companies on an equal footing.

Chidhakwa said operationalisation of AMDC, which was first mooted in Maputo last year was strategic. “AMDC must strategically coordinate the implementation of AMV and must coordinate activities including technical support, identifying gaps and areas of need and potential expertise to address those needs,” he said.

The regional entity, which dovetails with the proposed establishment of a Pan African Minerals University of Science and Technology (Pamusa) in Zimbabwe, would also undertake policy research, advocacy and information dissemination, monitoring and evaluation activities relating to achievement of the vision, he said.

“Africa has a dearth of think tanks and the AMDC initiative will go a long way in addressing the policy gaps in Africa’s mineral sector. It will assist in revamping national geological surveys in African mining countries, geological exploration activities and strengthen sub-regional and national capacities,” said Chidhakwa.

The minister noted how Africa continues to play second fiddle in global economic matters, with hundreds of its population wallowing in abject poverty despite living in rich mineral resource areas that are exploited for foreign benefit.

He said reversing the trend required a committed paradigm shift and crafting of a contextual framework that addresses the continent’s needs and management of mineral wealth for future generations.

The African Development Bank has said “industrialisation was a precondition for Africa’s economic transformation”.

Last night delegates drawn from the entire continent and representatives from global development agencies, were seized with the matter and are expected to come up with concrete resolutions when the five-day meeting ends today.