ZIMBABWE is thrashing out a "resources for arms" deal with Russia which may see the country being supplied with military helicopters and other hardware in exchange for platinum. A report carried by Russia's Kommersant business daily and online publications yesterday said officials from the former superpower who were in the country in April all but secured an inter-governmental agreement on stimulating investment and defence, under which a state corporation, Russian Technologies, would supply military helicopters in exchange for mineral rights to platinum deposits in Darwendale.
However, checks yesterday by the Zimbabwe Independent with Russian diplomats in Harare indicated the military helicopters in question may actually be old ones which had been taken for repairs in the world's largest country in terms of surface area.
"The helicopters in question are not new but old ones which had been taken to Russia for repairs," one diplomat said last night. "Probably that's what they are referring to."
Reports say the Darwendale mining area which has attracted the Russians' interest in the mineral-rich Great Dyke has platinum reserves as well as other valuable metals such as gold, nickel, copper and palladium, among others.
A senior mining executive confirmed to the Independent yesterday Russians were in the country in April and, apart from meeting government and military officials, they also met players in the mining sector to glean information.
"Yes, discussions are taking place and in fact I met the visitors referred to in April," the mining executive said.
"They did not disclose how they proposed to pay for the (platinum) deposits but were certainly holding discussions and asked to meet with me to talk about the area in question."
The executive said the major sticking point could however be differences in valuation of the resource between government and the Russians.
He said the Russians wanted government to take into consideration investment, financing and operating costs to extract and process the mineral in evaluating the deal.
"There will be a gap in expectation on the part of our government which clings to the belief that minerals in the ground are valued at the selling price of estimated metal content," the executive said.
"This ignores investment, financing and operating costs to extract and process the minerals. So if government expects to receive billions worth of military equipment in exchange for bare ground, it's not going to happen!"
It is understood Russchrome and RusszimMining, which have links to the army, are part of the deal. ZDF spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi said he was unaware of the deal.
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"THIS IS GOING TO BE A STICKING POINT FOR AFRICA. WE NEED THE TECHNOLOGIES OF REFINEMENTIN EVERY SINGLE RSOURCE SECTOR. WE NEED THE FINISHED DIAMONDS THE FINISHED PLATNIUM OIL GOLD AL THE METALS. WHAT WE ALSO NEED IS TO REFINE ALL OUR PRODUCTS AND ESTABLISH SALES PF FINISHED PRODUCST ECLUDING THE RAW MATERIAL SIDE OF BUSINESS. SACRIFICE IS WHAT IS NECESARRY WITHOUT THE FINISHED PRODUCT WE WONT SEE THE TRIILIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THE RESORVOIRS OF WEALTH HAVE STORED. "THIS IS WHY EDUCATION WITH THE HIGHEST OF TECHNICAL APPLICATION IS NEEDED. AGAIN WITH A UNITED AFRICA WITH SCIENTIST COMMITTED TO SECURING A STRONG UNIFIED SUPREME AFRICA WE CAN NOT FAIL. TO THINK ALONG INDIVIDUAL UNREALISTIC SUCCESSES SUCH AS NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA THAT THEY ON THIR OWN CAN GO TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND HAVE A SESAT IS NOT LIKELYVERY UNREALISTIC. I SAY TO ALL PLAYERS IN AFRICA SHOUDL YOU DECIDE TO EMBRACE YOUR BROTHERS IN THE DIASPORA NOT THE ONES WHOM HAVE JSUT LEFT YOUR NATIONS BUT THOSE WHOWERE STOLEN FROM AFRICA AAND HAS SUFFERE YEARS OF RECENT ABUSE INAPPROPRIATE SALARIES THAT ARE WAY BELOW THE SALARIES OF THIER WHITE COUNTERPARTS AND WHEN THEY SUCCEED THEY STILL ARE NOT GIVEN PROMINENCE. THERE AE MILLIONS OF SCIENTIST IN EVERY FIELD IN THE WST WHOM ARE DISATISFIED WITH THIER STATE OF EMPLYMENT AND MANY ARE OUT OF WORK ; WHY DONT AFRICAN GOVERNMENST IN THIS CENTRUY SEEK THIER EMPLYMENT SO THE TRANSITION TO DEVELPMENT WILL BECOME A PATRIOTIC AND PROUD ACOMPLISHMENT. WE NEED TO EMRACE ALL ORU BROTHERS A SISTERS WORLD WIDE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DIFFERNCE OF WHER WE SHOULD BE ON THE WOLRD STAGE IN OUR LIFE TIMES. LIFE IS SHORT SO WE KUST ACQUIRE ALL THE TOOLS NECESARRY TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OUR GOALS. WE SEE THAT WE CANNOT DEPEND ONTHOSE WHO WERE THE IMPERIAL AND COLONIAL OVERSEERS. WE HAVE WORK TO DO AND WE NEED TO GET GOING WITH THE URGENCY OF A CONTINENT POSSESSED. LIBERIA NEEDS TO START DEVELOPING REFINED IRON ,ZIMBABWE GOLD PLATINUM DIAMONDS, CONGO THE SAME. WE ARE EVRY FORTUNATE THAT NOW WE HAVE CABLES IN AFRICA WER CAN DO OUR OWN CONNECTIVITY WITH THE SAME COPPER WE MINE IN MAKING CABLES FOR TELEPHONES COMPUTERS MOBILES ETC. WE MUST WAKE UP HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO SET STATE OF THE ART REFINEREIES. E COME TOGETHER WE GO TYO ORU BEST L ALLIES AS ONE NATION THE AFRICAN NATION WE SET PROJECTS THAT NEED URGENCY WE ASK FOR TH ALL OUT FUNDING TO DO ALL P[ROJECTS CREDIT T TO OUR AFRICAN UNION ACCOUNTS WITH THESE PROJECTS SUCH AS THE ETHIOPIAN DAMS THE SAME FOR CONGO THE REFINERIES FOR NIGERIA AND ZIMBABWEWHAT IS THE PRICETAG FOR THESE WORKS 100 BILLION DOLAR THAT SHOULD BE PEANUTS IF TH JOBS ARE COMPLETED ON TIME WITH HIGH QUALITY. AFRICA WOULD BE ABLE TO TURN THAT OVER WITHIN A VERY SHORT PERIOD,IT SHOULD BE COLLECTIVE AND BENEIFICAL TO ALL WITH MORE POWER, CLEAN POWER ,ELEVATING THE STATUS OF THOSE OUT ON THE MARGINS WITH ACCESSIBLE WATER WITH POWER TRANSFERING WATER TO REMORE ARAES ELECTRIC POWERING AGRICULTURE AS WE AS INDUSTRRIES, WITH POWR PEOPLE WORK EVERYWHERE. WHEN THEY KNOW THERE IS LIGHT AVAILABLE CLEAN WATER WASTE MANGEMENT ALSO IS IN NEED OF POWEWR TO RUN THE PLANTS THAT DO THESE CLEANING. "T IS NOT HARD TO ACCESS THESE PROGRAMS AS ONE UNIT IN AFRICA BENEIFITING FROM EACH OTHERS INVESTMENTS" "AFRICANS NEED TO HELP[ EACH OTHER TACKLING THE BIG LOANS AND DOING THE HONOURABLE AFRICAN THING WHICH IS WHEN IT BECOMES PROFITABLE YOU LOOK AT YOUR BROTHERS AND SAY "HERE MY BROTHER IS A PIECE OF WHAT YOU HAVE ENABLED ME TO DO"."THIS WHAT THIS ORGANISATION IS FOR "EACH ONE TEACH ONE EACH ONE HELP ONE TILL EVERYONE IS STANDING TALL " " AFRICANS I ASSUME ARE NOT GOING TO BECOME GREEDY AS THOSE WHO HAVE STOLEN CORRUPTED BRIBED THEIR WAY TO A FORTUNE, DENYING THE REST OF THE POPULATION DESTITUTE. WE SEE THAT CAN NOT WORK IT LEAVES FOR ONE SECTOR OF PEOPLE TO BE EXTRAVAGANTLY RICH WHILE ANOTHER IS EXTREMELY POOR". 'THE BEST THINGS ARE SET IN THE MIDDLE WHERE EVERYONE ENJOYS RELATIVE WEALTH WITHOUT EXTRAVAGANCE". THOSE DAYS ARE OVER, THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE TO FFED. THIS IS NOT HARD TO DO WE MUST HAVE FAITH AND TRUST "ALL MIGHTY GOD" WITH ALL YOUR HEART "HE" NEVR EVER FAILS HIS CHILDREN." WHEN MOTHER AND FATHER DESERTS YOU THE "ALL MIGHTY GOD" WILL NEVER" " ALONE HE WILL DO ALL THE THINGS WE WISH AND AKS OF HIM" "THERE IS NOT TASK TOO GERAT THAT HE CANNOT DO" "HE REWARDS US WHEN HE" SEES THAT WE ARE EMBRACING THE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE HIS ATTRIBUTES". 'HELPING LOVING CAREING FOR ONE ANOTHER"BEING FAIR AND IMPARTIAL NOT BEING GREEDY OR GLUTTINOUS SHAREING ALL WE HAVE WITH EACH OTHER," "HE WILL CERTAINLY NEVER ALLOW US TO FAIL IF WE MANAGE TO MAINATIN THESE PRINCIPLES; "THESE ARE THE THINGS HE" LOVES ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ASK !!!AND DO WHAT THESE THINGS IMPLY"
RESOURCES are natural gifts that are meant to be used by a group of people within a specified geografical area for their benefit.The benefit is realised by the effeciant and effective use of th resource in this case platnum.If we use our minerals in their raw state we are not to realise the intended benefit,we are just throwing away our precious minerals to Russia in exchange for second hand military hardway,for what purpose?To prop up those in power!No,no,no the powers that be,what has gone wrong with your rationality,lets dwell on programmes that improve our economy,eg what can we do so that we process our raw materials and make finished products that give us real important benefit.I am totaly against the arms deal with Russia.