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Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]

KAMATIVI female residents have appealed to lithium-focused mining entities to have a gender balance in their recruitment process saying current trends favour males.

Kamativi in Matabeleland North Province, is witnessing renewed interest and exploration related to lithium mining.

Companies are actively tapping into Kamativi’s mineral wealth, breathing new life into the region.

The mine’s tailings dump has been found to contain significant lithium ores.

The discovery of lithium in the mine’s tailings has attracted new investments and initiatives that have a positive bearing on employment.

For instance, Kamativi Mining Company (KMC) has re-opened the mine and expects to invest a total of US$249 million, this time exploring for lithium and not tin.

Phase one of the mine is already successfully running and producing 300 000 tonnes of raw ore and 50 000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum.

Phase two, which will ramp up production to 2,3 million tonnes of raw ore and 300 000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum, is under construction and will be completed mid-year.

Another firm, Bravura, a Pan-African company, has partnered with the government in a 60:40 joint venture to extract spodumene concentrate, a source of lithium, from the old dumps at Kamative.

The projects have create employment opportunities but females claim they are largely sidelined in recruitment.

 

WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/VD36bXEvJuw

 

Ward 11 resident, Ms Sithulisiwe Munsaka told the Chronicle last week that while they appreciate recent investments in Kamativi that have presented employment opportunities, she said few females are recruited.

She appealed for gender balance.

“We appreciate what Government is doing (in bringing investments) but there should be fairmess in recruitment,” she said.

” There should be a gender balance in recruitment. Female single parents also want to be employed.”

KMC public relations officer Mr Mehluli Moyo acknowledged the concerns raised saying they are working on improving gender balance.

“From a perspective that we had, most of the jobs that we introduced were in construction field and there are risks and hazards associated.

“Now that everything is in place, the number of females is going to increase.”