Zimbabwe dumps Iran for the uranium mining project

Zimbabwe has dumped Iran as a partner in the uranium mining project in Kanyemba and has gone into partnership with the Chinese who have set up base in Dande safari area, NewsDay reported.

Uranium experts from CNNC Overseas Uranium Holding, a subsidiary of the Chinese uranium giant China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), are reportedly exploring for uranium in the wildlife-infested area in the remote northern part of Zimbabwe largely reserved for big game hunting.

The Chinese firm has formed a joint venture with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) to exploit uranium in the country.

In an interview, ZMDC chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa on Wednesday confirmed the joint venture agreement with CNNC.

Masimirembwa also told NewsDay the special exploration licence granted to CNNC in 2009 expired last December, hence he was not aware the Chinese were still mining.

Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi during an official visit to Teheran last year after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Zimbabwe told ISNA that while "Zimbabwe holds rich resources, the problem we face is lack of budget, finance and required technical equipment to take the very rich resources out and use them".

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