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Lovemore Zigara  Business Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) plans to set up two chrome smelters in the Midlands province in a move aimed at empowering small-scale miners.The government imposed a ban on raw chrome exports in April 2011 arguing that there was need to promote value addition, leaving chrome miners at mercy of smelters who determine the price of the metal.

Speaking in Gweru during a consultative meeting with chrome miners, ZMF president Trynos Nkomo said plans to set up the smelter were already at an advanced stage.

He said ZMF was now waiting for the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to approve  the projects to take off.

“We’re planning to set up two refineries in the Midlands since it is the province with the largest concentration of chrome miners. Chrome mining has not been profitable to small-scale miners since the ban of chrome ore exports.

“This has resulted in the mushrooming of chrome smelters who are buying the commodity at below cost prices. We’ve already sent our proposal to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and once they give the green light to the projects then will take off in earnest,” he said.

Nkomo warned chrome mines that were exploiting small-scale miners by leasing claims and paying them below market prices for the commodity to desist from such actions.

He said the mining federation would soon engage such companies and would not hesitate to write to the government seeking permission to possess the claims if the exploitation continues.

Existing chrome smelters were buying the metal at $35 per tonne despite the demand of the mineral on the world market.

Prior to the export ban, the metal was fetching $150 per tonne.