MACDONALD DZIRUTWE RUSSIAN-ZIMBABWEAN platinum venture Great Dyke Investments (GDI) expects to raise up to $500 million in funding it needs for the first phase of its mining project by the end of this year after the coronavirus delayed talks with lenders, its CEO said on Tuesday. GDI is 50% owned by Russia’s Vi Holding, through its JSC Afromet subsidiary, and 50% owned by Zimbabwe’s Landela Mining Venture (Pvt) Ltd and plans to start mining platinum ore in 2021. GDI’s Chief Executive Alex Ivanov said five institutions were participating in a syndicated funding led by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), including from…