Asbestos mines Shabanie and Mashava of Zimbabwe have been under the administration of Gwaradzimba Afar since 2004, were delivered to the federal government. Now the government is working on a recovery plan led by the Harare-based Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation to put the asbestos mines in the interior of the country in the operation.
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that was highly toxic banned in most developed countries due to respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the mesothelium lining of the lungs, heart, chest and the abdomen. However, asbestos is still used in construction and manufacturing in many Third World countries, where it is difficult to manage regulated, and where patients suffering from asbestos cancer and other asbestos-related diseases usually do not have access to adequate medical care.
An estimated 200 million will be needed to reopen the mines, so they can begin to produce 180,000 tonnes of asbestos per year. The government is eager to revive the mines, despite their imminent danger to the health of workers, because many of the world's fastest growing economies have asbestos in high demand. Yet, Brazil, Russia, India and China are beginning to show the uncertainty on whether to continue using the dangerous mineral. South Africa, formerly the largest importer of asbestos from Zimbabwe, have stopped using asbestos products.
Although the export of minerals may be a bit 'more difficult, a national sales are only required to produce 2 billion U.S. dollars.
