Categories: Stories

Every Zimbabwean can be a millionaire says Mphoko

Every Zimbabwe can be a millionaire because Zimbabwe is sitting on $15 trillion worth of mineral resources Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, who is currently the acting president, said yesterday.

“Zimbabwe is number two in terms of platinum depots followed by Russia at number three — which gives us 2.8 billions tonnes of reserves of platinum,” he said during a tour of Mashonaland West according to The Herald.

“If you multiply 2.8 billion tonnes of platinum by $1 500 per ounce, we are not supposed to be poor. Now, if we add on top of 2.8 billion tones, we add gold which ranges between 25 million tones of reserves throughout the country at $1 100 per ounce, and then we add diamonds —those three minerals account for $15 trillion dollars. Why should we be poor?”

Mphoko said Zimbabwe was poor because of sanctions imposed by the West but with commitment, Zimbabwe could beat these sanctions, especially on the Great Dyke where it was involved in a joint venture with Russia which is also under US sanctions.

 “We are all under sanctions. You cannot apply sanctions to a rich country like Zimbabwe. You can’t. Forget. You are wasting your time because if we talk about these minerals and you think you can make us starve, it is impossible.  Maybe if we were a banana republic with no natural resources, maybe you can win, but not a country with such massive natural resources.”

(425 VIEWS)

This post was last modified on July 9, 2015 9:33 am

Charles Rukuni

The Insider is a political and business bulletin about Zimbabwe, edited by Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was a printed 12-page subscription only newsletter until 2003 when Zimbabwe's hyper-inflation made it impossible to continue printing.

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