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Sikhulekelani Moyo, Business Reporter

BULAWAYO is set to host the second edition of Zimbabwe Institute of Foundries (ZIF) Metal Casting Conference next month where different industry representatives would engage over key issues affecting the sector and strategise on ways to unlock wider value chain opportunities.

The event would be held at Zimbabwe School of Mines from 10-11 November 2022 and would be attended by local metal casting industry players and counterparts from Southern African Development Community (Sadc) metal players from South Africa and Zambia, as well as India.

In an interview, ZIF chief operating officer Mr Dosman Mangisi said this year’s indaba aims at reshaping metal beneficiation from raw material to final products and re-candle activities in established organisations like National Railways of Zimbabwe.

He said this year they will be focusing on industry retooling and use of new technology in metal casting and value addition.

“The second edition will be held at Zimbabwe School of Mines as the school promotes foundry technology and iron and steel making, which is new in the country’s academia,” said Mr Mangisi.

“This compliments what is in the National Development Strategy and vision 2030 as we still need a lot of metals in the country. So, there is a need for more technology and coming up with strategic scrap metal management statutes and policies.”

Mr Mangisi said the metal casting Indaba will complement new projects, which are coming into shape including the Manhize project in Mvuma and other established organisations like ZimChem.

The US$1 billion steel manufacturing plant being developed by Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco) in Manhize, Mvuma is expected to cut steel imports into the country by at least 90 percent, officials say.

Disco, a subsidiary of the giant Chinese steel producer Tsingshan Holdings, is developing Africa’s largest integrated steel-manufacturing plant in Zimbabwe.

The investment, which the Government has granted a national project status, is expected to have its first steel blast furnace up and running by September next year.

Last year ZIF held its inaugural metal casting conference where the players deliberated on the shortage of inputs and called upon the Government to ban the export of scrap metal as the major input of the foundry industry.

 -@SikhulekelaniM1