Zimbabwe's state-run newspaper reports the country is considering bids from three foreign companies to mine uranium.

The Sunday Mail quotes Deputy Mines Minister Tinos Rusere as saying the bidders, who were not named, sought mining rights for the Kanyemba district.

The companies that applied for mining rights are reportedly from China, Namibia, South Africa and Russia.

Last year, President Robert Mugabe announced plans to turn to nuclear energy to ease electricity shortages in the country.

Zimbabwe is suffering its worst economic crisis since its independence in Britain in the 1980, with chronic shortages of food and fuel. The country's economy has also been marked by an inflation rate that is more than 1,000 percent.

Many analysts blame Mr. Mugabe's economic and land reform policies for the downward spiral.