Story by Theophilus Chuma
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has entered into a landmark agreement with the Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO), aimed at significantly reducing the country’s reliance on imported mining machinery through the supply of locally manufactured equipment to the small-scale and artisanal mining sector.
The partnership comes as production ramps up at the US$1 billion DISCO steel plant in Manhize, Mvuma, which is already redefining Zimbabwe’s industrialisation trajectory.
ZMF president, Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, emphasised the potential of the alliance to curb the outflow of foreign currency and promote domestic procurement.
“Gone are the days of importing products such as bow and hammer mills which are made from steel. As Zimbabwe Miners Federation we are calling on our miners to utilise and consume products that are locally produced. We are going to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which will culminate into a Memorandum of Agreement which will make us the biggest consumer of their products,” she said.
Apart from this agreement, there is also a strategic arrangement for the supply of chrome to DISCO by small scale miners.
According to the ZMF, this will significantly remove export bottlenecks for chrome miners as they supply directly to the steel-producing firm.
Officials at DISCO are preparing to meet local demand after a commitment to prioritise domestic demand.
“Our intention is, we want to supply local consumption, any surplus we will export,” Managing Director – Dinson Iron and Steel Company, Mr Benson Xu said.
Dinson Iron and Steel Company has a production target of at least 600 thousand metric tonnes of carbon steel annually, an output which experts say is critical to support the country’s industrialisation agenda.
The government has already outlined its support for the revival of steel production, with the latest restrictions on steel imports through Statutory Instrument 46 of 2025 coming as a measure to reduce dependency on imports.
