Achieving self-sufficiency, particularly for African countries, through beneficiation of indigenous resources is an ambition at President Mnangagwa’s heart, and this was one of the areas he applauded Equatorial Guinea for yesterday.
Whenever he gets a platform to express his mind and vision,
the subject of self-sufficiency always finds its way into the conversation.
Last year, Zimbabwe achieved self-sufficiency in the
production of wheat, and this has been a source of pride for President
Mnangagwa, who has taken every opportunity to share the achievement with the
regional and international community.
The climate-proofed Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, in its
vernacular names, makes up part of his speeches at home and in foreign lands.
Equatorial Guinea, where President Mnangagwa is on a
three-day State visit that ends today, is no exception.
It is, therefore, not a surprise, when writing in the
visitors’ book at the Punta Europa (Oil Complex), that President Mnangagwa
expressed his admiration for Equatorial Guinea’s ability to generate own
electricity for the entire city of Malabo using the skills of its own people.
He applauded the Punta Europa management “for their skills
and technology to run and manage this modern day complex plant”.
I am happy this complex is domestically operated by the
local people of this Republic. Further, I admire that this gas powers buses
operated here in Malabo. Congratulations for this self-sufficiency,” wrote
President Mnangagwa.
During the tour, President Mnangagwa was accompanied by
Equatorial Guinea Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Antonio Oburu Ondo, on
behalf of his counterpart, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
He said the fact that the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
produced at Punta Europa was exported to first world countries, was testimony
that it was of high quality that met international standards.
At a State Banquet hosted by his counterpart, President
Nguema Mbasogo on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe looked forward to
tap into the treasure trove of experience that Equatorial Guinea had in the gas
and oil sectors.
Although Invictus Energy, the company exploring for gas and
oil in Muzarabani has not officially announced gas and oil discovery, in its
last communication it announced the presence of 13 potential hydrocarbon
bearing zones and called Mukuyu-1 and ST1 drill campaign “a great success”.
“This is an outstanding result and virtually unprecedented
for the first well in a frontier basin, establishing a new petroleum province
and substantially de-risking the company’s wider acreage in the Cabora Bassa
Basin,” said Invictus Energy managing director, Mr Scott MacMillian.
Equatorial Guinea exports crude oil and other beneficiated
products, earning millions of US dollars.
The entire complex, which houses three different companies,
employees over 1 000 people who work in several shifts.
The workers run the plants without any stoppages since
commissioned, according to one of the tour guides. Herald
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