Africa’s Economic Emancipation Rests on Technology: President

President Mnangagwa interacts with delegates at the 9th ordinary meeting of the African Diamond Producers Association Council of Ministers at Elephant Hills in Victoria Falls yesterday. — Picture: Eliah Saushoma

Prosper Ndlovu in VICTORIA FALLS

THE dream of modernising and industrialising Zimbabwe and the entire African continent will not be complete without incremental beneficiation of diamonds and other precious minerals, and embracing new technologies and innovations, particularly by young people, President Mnangagwa has said. Officially opening the 9th ordinary meeting of the African Diamond Producers’ Association (ADPA) Council of Ministers Conference here yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the time has come for Africa to translate its vision to grow its value addition and beneficiation base by scaling up the value of export earnings from the proceeds of precious minerals such as diamonds and gold. This would be done through the adoption of the “Whole of Society Approach”, which embraces both formal and informal structures in pursuit of common societal goals and policies. He said this must be prioritised and complemented by set targets of increasing production thresholds. Zimbabwe is among the prime diamond investment opportunity destinations in the region and the country hosted the high-level conference in its capacity as chair of ADPA. It will pass on the rotational assignment to Sierra Leone. ReadMore