The country is expected to hold general elections next year or 2013.

Although Saviour Kasukuwere, the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment has stated that the law is a government programme, he stood watch as the Unki Mine event turned into a Zanu PF affair.

Zanu PF activists clad in party regalia and traditional leaders who are known to be pliable to Zanu PF constituted the bulk of people who thronged the platinum mine 57 km south of Gweru.

Zanu PF songs, slogans and poems showering praises on Mugabe dominated the event.

Foreign companies are using the community share trusts to meet the 51 percent quota they should sell to locals under the indigenisation law.

Zanu PF says it will officially launch its campaign for elections immediately after its national conference next month. But it appears the indigenisation policy has given the party a head start.

President Mugabe and ministers Kasukuwere and Obert Mpofu Minister of Mines and Mineral Development took turns to read the riot act on errant foreign mining companies that have so far resisted implementing the policy saying they should close shop and leave the country.

“If you fail to comply with our indigenisation law we will say go. I think we will manage on our own because we have the human resources. If it is about technology we can always turn to our good friends in China. We have adopted the Look East Policy. I am just coming from there and they are very co-operative,” Mugabe said.

Mugabe later donated computers to various schools in the Midlands province, a move that he has previous taken as part of his election campaigns.

The Unki Community Share Ownership Trust is made up of three traditional leaders — Chief Banga, Chief Nhema and Chief Ndanga — who will rotate their chairmanship.

The chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Tongogara Rural District Council shall be a trustee and secretary respectively.

Unki Platinum Mine is owned by Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) and started production in January this year. 

The company which is expected to reach its full production of 120 000 tonnes per month in 2013 undertook to fund the trust and donated $10 million.

The Unki Community Share Ownership Trust will acquire 10 percent of the operating subsidiary’s issued share capital.

By Daily Mail