About Us
Our History as RISCO
The Steel Company was established in 1938 as a privately owned company in the city of Bulawayo. In 1942 the then Rhodesian Government formed the Rhodesia Iron and Steel Commission (Riscom), a statutory body which took over the steel works in Bulawayo, the Kwekwe Lime Works as well as the adjacent limestone quarry. 1946 saw the construction of a small plant at Redcliff and 1948 the commencement of production.
From 1948 to 1956 the steel works gradually expanded which led to the formation of the Rhodesia Iron and Steel Company (RISCO). The formation of RISCO was followed by an expansion program which saw the commissioning of modern blast furnaces and the installation of the first Coke Oven Battery. Plant expansion continued until 1975 when Blast Furnace number 4 was commissioned bringing steel works capacity to 1 000 000 tonnes of liquid steel per year.
Our History as ZISCOSTEEL
Soon after independence in the 1980’s the now Zimbabwean Government took over the steel works and changed the name for RISCO to Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO). By the early 1990’s conditions at ZISCO had deteriorated to obsolescence and mining costs at Buchwa mine had increased exponentially forcing the company to look at developing Ripple Creek Mine for the supply of iron ore to the blast furnaces. Blast furnace number 4 was reaching the end of its campaign and was taken off in 1994. A Chinese company was contracted to reconstruct and reline the furnace which was then recommissioned in 1999. In 1997 the company had commissioned a new 2 000 000 tonnes per year Sinter Plant and Ore/Coal (ORCO) handling plant to process iron ore (fines and lumpy ore repectively) from the new Ripple Creek Mine for the blast furnace operations.
Mission
To satisfy stakeholder needs and steel consumers through resumption of steel supply to the market.
Vision
To become operational again and become a self-sustaining iron and steel making concern.
Values
- To develop a sound relationship with suppliers
- To contribute towards strategic needs of the company in terms of steel requirements and create national wealth and employment opportunities
- To embark on the revival of the company through engagement of an investor