Shabanie and Mashaba Mines back at work

State media reported on Tuesday reported that the Shabanie and Mashaba Mines employees are back at work amid revelations that the new investor, the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), has secured capital to start operations at the giant asbestos mines.

Shabanie Mine employees have been on unpaid leave since January last year when production was suspended.

A senior official at the giant mine said the company released an urgent notice notifying workers to report for duty with effect from Monday (9 January 2012) following a directive from the new investor.

Prior to the urgent notice, the employees had received their first salary since the introduction of multi-currency.

Chronicle is in possession of the urgent notice signed by the mine's managing director, a Mr T S Nyagura, advising the employees on the "cancellation of the shut down".

"Please be advised that all employees who are on unpaid leave should report back to work on Monday 9 January 2012. The first shift to work on the 9th of January will be those that commence at 6am . . .," reads part of the notice.

An earlier communication had indicated that the workers were to start reporting for duty on 13 February 2012.

A management official, who requested not to be named, said the new investor communicated to them that they have made available capital to resume production at the mine.

"Initially, we had been told that the new investor was yet to secure capital and we communicated to the employees that they should remain on unpaid leave until 13 February where we expected to issue another notice statement.

"We, however, wrote an urgent notice to the employees advising them to report for duty after the ZMDC indicated that they intended to resume operations," said the official.

Shabanie and Mashaba Mines administrator Mr Afaras Gwarazimba confirmed that management had given the employees notice to report for duty with the expectation to start operations.

Mr Gwarazimba, who could not be drawn to reveal the amount of capital that had been injected so far for the resumption of operations at the mines, said they were working together  with ZMDC to make sure operations resumed soon.

"As you might be aware, we are now working with the ZMDC and to make announcements without engaging the partners will not be proper.

"I can, however, confirm that we have since advised the employees to report for duty as a preparatory measure to resume operations at the mines," he said.

Efforts to get a comment from ZMDC chairman, Mr Goodwills Masimirembwa, were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.

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