Zimbabwe used to be the Jewel of Africa. It used to be the bread basket of Africa. It used to be the envy of the whole world. We want Zimbabwe to return to its former glory and this can only happen if we expand our energy in finding a big investor who will start to tap into the untapped lucrative coal-bed methane gas in Lupane-Lubimbi area so that it changes the fortunes of Zimbabwe in order for our beautiful country to become great again and give every Zimbabwean a better life. Let us take advantage of our God given mineral resource.
In order to get maximum profit from our God given resources, it is of great importance that mechanisms be put in place to ensure that there is transparency in the extraction of this particular lucrative mineral resource. There is an urgent need for Zimbabwe to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (E.I.T.I.) a global standard for the good governance of mineral resources.
Once we become a member of the ( E.I.T.I.) there is going to be guarantee of information along the value chain beginning with the point of extraction to how the revenue gets to Government and how it is ploughed back to the communities. This will have a multiplier effect in that we are all going to benefit from our God given mineral resources
That same revenue gets to Government and how that same revenue is ploughed back to the communities. Once that happens, there is going to be a multiplier effect such that we are all going to enjoy our God given mineral resource.
I would like to conclude by saying there is not even a single person who was born poor. Every person was born with their own potential but people are poor because of institutions that are built by Government. People are poor because of systems that are created by Government. People are poor because of policies that are formulated by Government. Mr. Speaker Sir, if Government was to build good institutions, create good systems and formulate good policies, every person will be able to explore their potential and have capacity to cultivate personal growth and the growth of their countries towards the developmental path. I therefore would like to urge Government to please build good strong institutions around this project. Can you please create good systems of governance around this project? Can you please formulate good investor policies around this project so that we attract a big investor who will come and invest in this big mineral resource and give us billions of dollars? This will transform this economy so that it becomes a giant once more and that every person in this country has a better life.
Lastly, I hope and trust that Government will give priority to this project which has been on the cards for a long time so that it moves away from being just a dream but becomes reality. Government must walk the talk and talk the walk in regards to this project. Within six months, we want to see something happening in Lupane. We want to see gas oozing out Mr. Speaker Sir.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to end by a quote from our great icon, the late Tata Madiba who said “It always seems impossible until it is done”. Yes, it might seem impossible to find a big investor who will kick start the long awaited project, but the bottom line is that it can be done, yes, it can. We can get an investor to come and invest in this lucrative project which has been lying idle without being tapped. We want an investor to tap into the untapped lucrative methane gas so that we create billions of dollars, we create jobs for our people, and that every Zimbabwean will have a better life. I rest my case.
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