Prospect Lithium Zim boosts govt’s road rehab programme

Goromonzi- GOROMONZI -based miner, Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe has thrown weight behind Government’s Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) after it gave a massive facelift of a 25 kilometer road in the area.

A 12km tarred section from Majuru business centre to Harare-Mutare highway was resurfaced and marked, while another section from the shops to Acturus was widened.

This has added to the battery of projects that the company has done in the past nine months.

Authorities in Mashonaland East province have welcomed more community developments to be undertaken by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, after the giant mining company announced that it would do more for the area this year.

Last week, the company announced that it had finished needs assessment for new community-led projects to be undertaken as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, building on the work it did last year in education, health, security and infrastructure.

The outlay for the projects ran into thousands of dollars, before the giant company even started production, which is scheduled for this year.

This year the company will be focusing on infrastructure development and agriculture, increased company-wide commitments to reduce its environmental footprint, and boost health and education in the communities.

District Development Coordinator for Goromonzi Rural District Council Mrs Prisca Dube was impressed by the developments.

“Our community is benefiting a lot from this organisation and we are happy as Goromonzi,” said Mrs Dube.

“We also commend their Corporate Social Responsibility activities they are doing around Goromonzi. Their interventions in the education and health sector in the district are commendable,” she said.

Meanwhile, the director for Flagship Infrastructural Programmes and Projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet Mr George Madzimure says CSR activities could change the face of communities.

“Corporate Social Responsibility activities are a way of giving back to locals by corporates that operate in those communities,” Mr Madzimure said.

Those that have done it and are doing so have helped bring about inclusive and sustainable citizen livelihoods in communities.

It is my fervent hope that all corporates operating in communities engage in CSR activities to help improve livelihoods of locals,” Mr Madzimure said.

PLZ began its community-focused initiatives with opening vacancies for locals to be employed at the plant, and followed that up with the construction of classroom blocks and teacher’s houses at Vhuta Primary School.I

It also donated school furniture and textbooks to 11 schools in the area.

The company went further and rehabilitated a 12km stretch of Goromonzi-Harare road, including two bridges.

By the end of last year, the company had completed building a base for the Zimbabwe Republic Police in the area.

Despite the community achievements in less than a year in 2022, the company is set to put into motion what will be one of Mashonaland East’s biggest mining and corporate social responsibilities in 2023.

It is set to contribute millions of dollars in building and rehabilitation of community schools, supporting the educational needs of underprivileged children, sponsoring sporting disciplines, supporting health and disability centres, agriculture and training of farmers to enable them to enhance household livelihoods among other things.

This year’s corporate social responsibility programmes are based on its investment philosophy, “no matter where you invest, you must contribute to the local economy and society.”