The commissioning and full operationalisation of the Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO) in Mvuma, which was initially pencilled for the end of this year, is now set for early next year.

The plant project manager, Mr Wilfred Motsi said the project was now 80 percent complete with everything now almost in place for its full operationalisation early next year.

“I am glad to say that we are now at 80 percent complete.

“Almost all the components we need are on site, while my team is just putting in place final touches.

“We had to defer the opening of the plant due to some unforeseen circumstances,” he said.

Mr Motsi said the mining of ore in preparation for steel production has since commenced.

Midlands Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube and his Mashonaland East counterpart, Aplonia Munzverengwi, toured the plant early this week.

Minister Ncube said the Government was impressed by progress at the steel plant which was set to spur the country’s re-industrialisation drive.

“I am very impressed, but what has been achieved here in such a short time. We have been assured that the company will be up and running beginning of next year thereby opening space to create over 10 000 jobs,” he said.

Minister Munzverengwi said the new iron and steel giant had the potential to turn the two provinces into industrial hubs.

“I am very happy about this project which has brought together my province and the Midlands province. The President’s vision is to achieve an upper middle class economy and with this huge project in sight, the Dinson Iron and Steel Company, a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate Tsinshang Holdings, is setting up a billion-dollar steel plant which will be one of the biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa.