Zimbabwe economic recovery: New Realities and New Paradigms: This week: Mining

Can the mining sector carry the torch of economic transformation in Zimbabwe? By Laurence I. Sithole Agriculture and mining have historically been economic bell weathers for Zimbabwe however their present condition needs to be transformed if economic transformation is to be achieved. The mining industry was and remains one of the biggest income earners for several countries on the planet, South Africa, Brazil Russia, Canada, Botswana, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Australia among others. If there is to be an economic saviour for the nation of Zimbabwe it would have to be mining right? Not quite. The country missed the great commodities boom of 2000 to 2008 fuelled by the mass urbanisation of countries like China which demanded vast quantities of basic materials. This was a boon that the country wonderfully missed. Not for want of mineral resources did the country miss the super cycle of unprecedented growth in commodity prices.