NORTHERN CAPE. – President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday 16 October officially opened the second phase of the Gamsberg zinc mine expansion near Aggeneys in the Northern Cape. The project will increase the mine's annual production capacity to about 500 000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate.
The expansion by Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) is expected to support between 800 and 1 000 jobs during operation. According to the announcement, recruitment will focus mainly on people from the Northern Cape.
The mine is located in the Khâi-Ma local municipality in the Namakwa district. The expansion aims to grow South Africa's zinc production capacity and support economic activity in the region.
The opening took place against the backdrop of calls for South Africa to create more value from its mineral resources by processing them locally and manufacturing products from them.
During the occasion, Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of collaboration between government, the private sector, employees and communities to promote economic growth and local development.
The expansion is part of VZI's long-term investment in South Africa. Although the project is expected to support jobs and economic activity, the estimated number of posts is not a confirmation that all the jobs have already been created.
Sources: The Presidency; SAnews.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
