Why Shabanie-Mashava mines should be resuscitated

HON. MANDIPAKA:   I second.

HON. HOLDER:  Thank you Mr. Speaker.  Let me start by saying a quote from Martin Luther King Junior that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  Mr. Speaker, as we are all aware, Shabanie Mine closed more than 15 years ago.  I want to say to you that it employed more than 5500 people and contributed more than $40 million every year to the GDP.  Mr. Speaker Sir, we are all aware that Shabanie-Mashava Mines was owned by British people for over 70 years.  Gaths Mine was established in 1914 and Shabanie Mine was established in 1917.  Mr. Speaker, every year this mine would contribute a lot to the GDP but since it has been closed, it was put under reconstruction, which never did much to the resuscitation of Shabanie Mine.  Shabanie Mine had more than 26 subsidiary companies – they were SMM Holdings, Turnall Holdings (in which SMM has 61% shareholding);  Steelnet (Zimbabwe) Ltd (61%); Chemspec (Pvt) Ltd(100%);  Cernol Chemicals (Pvt) Ltd (100% owned by Chemspec ) FSI Trading Pvt. Ltd (100% SMM); Tube and Pipe Pvt. Ltd (division of Steelnet); Hastt Zimbabwe Ltd (Division of Steelnet); BMA Fasteners (division of Steelnet); General Belting Ltd (51% SMM); General Beltings (division of General Beltings Ltd) and Pigott and Maskew (division of General Beltings Ltd).  All these companies belonged to Shabanie Mine.

 Mr. Speaker, I just want to take you back a bit to how this mine got into trouble.  There has never been a discussion by the Directors of Shabanie Mine or plans to say that they are shutting down Shabanie Mine   I moved this motion because we always talk about growing the cake.

In my Constituency, Zvishavane-Ngezi, that is where Shabanie Mine is actually situated.  We need to remember that this mine closed in 2004 and we are in 2017.  It actually has more than 42 million tonnes of asbestos fibre which is still underground and can still be mined.  Mr. Speaker, I am telling you all these things because of the living conditions and the workers that were prejudiced of their salaries after working for Shabanie Mine for such a long time and have not yet received any payment.

THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order, order Hon. Members, can we hear the Hon. Member in silence please.

 HON. HOLDER:  Mr. Speaker, the sanitary facilities, the infrastructure, the roads and everything is deteriorating.  When Shabanie Mine was sold, I just want this House to understand a few things that I have actually come across.  TNN Holdings owned SMM Holdings and SMM Holdings is a company which is in the UK’s part of the British Virgin Islands.  Then there is SMM Holdings Zimbabwe.  Now, TNN put an advert Mr. Speaker.

 THE ACTING SPEAKER:  Order, order.  This subject is quite important for all of us but I wonder why we come here and then we start making noise.  We are Hon. Members and we should be respectful. – [AN HON. MEMBER: Inaudible interjections.]- Both sides are making noise, particularly to my left at the front here where you are Hon. Chamisa.  It is not you but your colleagues around there are making a lot of noise.  So, maybe I would ask Hon. Holder to come infront here so that we all hear what you are debating.

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