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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]

DINSON Iron and Steel Company managing director, Mr Benson Xu, has said the dream to establish three milestone projects in the country has become a reality with the successful construction of the US$1,5 billion steel plant in the Manhize area near Mvuma in the Midlands province.

The massive integrated steelworks, touted to be one of the biggest in Africa, is being built by China’s global stainless steel producer, Tsingshan Holdings Group Limited through its subsidiary — Dinson Iron and Steel Company.

The group also owns Dinson Colliery in Hwange in Matabeleland North and a ferrochrome plant, Afrochine Smelting Limited, in Selous, which were completed earlier.

Mr Benson, who is popularly known as “Tanaka Shumba” from Manhize said his group cherished the extensive investment dream from 2018 and is excited to have delivered according to expectation.

In his remarks, as he welcomed President Mnangagwa and his delegation during a tour of the steel plant yesterday, Mr Benson said the successful project rollout was a huge economic step statement for Zimbabwe. 

The company is putting the final touches on the giant steel plant ahead of its imminent commissioning anytime soon.

“I started having the dream of having milestone projects in Zimbabwe in 2018. This was after my first time coming to this place, Manhize and I saw mountains of iron ore and saw a lot of opportunities for steel production,” said Mr Benson.

He said the visit to Manhize affirmed his determination to work on the steel project to give Zimbabwe what it needed — steel. 

“Soon after the first visit we came back to Harare and we sat down with the Government and signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Mines officials. 

“In the MoU, we stated out the different milestones or projects we had to deliver to achieve the final stage of steel production,” said Mr Benson.

“So, in the MoU, we stated the completion of the expansion project of Afrochine in which we delivered the fourth and fifth furnaces in 2019.”

In the second milestone project, he said they committed to delivering Dinson Colliery in Hwange where they are producing coke.

“So, this is the third project at Manhize where we produce steel. This is the final stage for Zimbabwe. We believe that steel has a lot of potential, a lot of prospects,” said Mr Benson.

“You cannot see an economy developing without steel because the power industry, infrastructure industry and also the railway and transportation industry need steel. 

“So, all these economic sectors need to develop with steel. Fortunately, we have the iron ore to produce steel from this place and we are able to deliver and produce steel from this place.”

He said the Chinese investment group was proud to be part of the milestone journey to utilise and supply all resources for the production of steel at Manhize for the benefit of the country.

“More importantly is the natural resource of human beings, the resources of young people in this country. All the people employed are very young, 20-30 years and because of the energy from these young people, we believe we can produce for the country,” said Mr Benson. “We want this to be the largest steel production plant in Africa. We have the resources and ability to deliver under the leadership of President Mnangagwa.”

Disco is projected to produce 600 000 tonnes of products in the first phase rising to 1,2 million tonnes in the second phase then 3,2 million tonnes in the third phase and ultimately five million tonnes per year in the final phase, earning the country millions of dollars in foreign currency.

The project has already positioned Zimbabwe among the ranks of global steel manufacturing hubs with massive downstream benefits for the local and regional economy.