'Govt should resuscitate Shabanie Mashava mines'

Published: 04 June 2014

Building materials manufacturer, Turnall Holdings has said it was crucial for government to resuscitate operations at Shabanie Mashava Mines to curb spiralling import costs of chrysotile asbestos fiber, its main input.

Shabanie Mashava mines, located in Zvishavane in the Midlands Province, ceased operations over four years ago in part due to ownership wrangles between the state and former owner businessman Mr Mutumwa Mawere.

The closure of the mines, which were the main source of chrysotile fiber in Zimbabwe, has affected industries that depend heavily on the fiber an ingredient in the manufacture of asbestos sheets and other products.

Turnall's managing director, Mr John Jere said continued closure of SMM would result in needless loss of resources that could be used locally.

"At peak Turnall and Zambia would only consume about 5 to 7 percent of what the mine was producing, so I am talking of 93 percent of what we produced in Zimbabwe was exported, therefore you are talking of big monies, you are talking of a whole industry that we should do everything possible to resuscitate,” he said.

"We are now importing as Turnall as a result of that and for the last three and half to four years we have spent about $22 million on imports which money could have gone to our own local Industry.”

He said imports were being brought in from Brazil and Russia.

Turnall is a subsidiary of the FBC Holdings Group and the company's two manufacturing plants in Harare and Bulawayo have an annual production capacity of 120 000 tonnes.

It has two divisions namely Turnall Piping Products and Turnall Building Products which produce ridges, roof tiles, ceiling boards and pipes.

The company has since last year been investing in new plant equipment as part of a repositioning exercise.

- New Ziana

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