Zimbabwean government has repossessed excess land from Zimplats measuring 27 948 hectares with immediate effect, Fin24 reported on Wednesday morning.

South Africa’s popular news site reported that Zimbabwe’s mines minister, Obert Mpofu, said this was in keeping the ministry’s focus on the creation of real opportunities and investment space for Zimbabweans by making more land available for new investments.

Mpofu said attracting new players into the industry and acting on excess and utilised ground was part of his mandate as sole regulator and promoter of the mining industry in terms of the Mines and Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05),

It is understood that the mines department is reviewing all mining rights deemed to be in excess.

According to Fin24, Zimplats was granted a Special Mining Lease in 1994 covering 25 years. But geological information indicated that the total ground granted and the mineral endowment therein has a lifespan far exceeding the prescribed period, which period is in terms of the Mines and Minerals Act.

Fin24 also reported that Mpofu argued that Zimplats occupied two thirds of the Great Dyke and could only finish exploiting the platinum deposits in 300 years.

“If we give all that away to one person then that person is Zimbabwe,” he said. “They are currently using one twentieth of their claims.”

He said this was one move among other strategies expected to invigorate the mining industry to achieve its envisaged targets of creating employment, achieving increased mineral output and increased revenue injections.