Manhize shutdown sends tremors

The Chinese-run Dinson Iron and Steel Company has announced a 60-day shutdown, sending shockwaves through Zimbabwe's mining sector and affecting 2 000 workers, just three years after President Mnangagwa commissioned Africa's largest iron mining project.

A joint statement from the workers' committee chairman, Tichaona Masvanhise, and management representative Benson Shumba said the closure, running from September 11 to November 11, 2025, is due to a major breakdown in the company's sintering plant, requiring immediate repairs. The shutdown is also intended to complete the commissioning of plant equipment still undergoing test runs.

Despite reassurances from Dinson spokesperson Joseph Shoko, who said the shutdown was temporary and production resources could last 200 years, sceptics expressed concern. Reports of hundreds of Chinese workers leaving the site daily have fuelled fears of a longer or even permanent closure.

Shoko clarified that Chinese workers were traveling home to visit families during the downtime. "There are no uncertainties. Before the shutdown, we had one blast furnace with a capacity of 600 000 tonnes per annum, and we aim to reach six," he said.

Workers received US$100 last week to cover travel expenses, which will be deducted from September salaries. In October, employees will either be on leave or on forced unpaid leave if they have no leave days remaining.

The company emphasized that the shutdown was necessary to prevent further production losses and ensure the plant operates efficiently once fully commissioned. The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of large-scale mining projects in Zimbabwe, following past collapses like Hartley Platinum Mine in 1999.