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By Hopewell Chibvongodze
Harare, March 5, 2024 – The government has availed US$5 million for the development of artisanal and small-scale miners, the Mines and Minerals Development Minister, Zhemu Soda has said.
In an interview, Soda said the money was channeled through the Mining Industry Loan Fund (MILF). He urged the artisanal and small-scale miners to take advantage of the ongoing safety, health, and environment campaigns (SHE) to formally register their operations.
SHE, which is coming to the end of its lifespan throughout the eight mining provinces of the country, was initiated to show government commitment towards the reduction of accidents and fatalities in the mining industry.
“What we are looking at is to reduce accidents (there are so many accidents happening especially in the informal sector) or artisanal miners. That’s our target so that we reduce accidents and mine safely and also consider the sustainability of the environment,” said the Minister.
“There is a mining industry loan which has US$5 million. Over and above the MILF we are establishing gold saves centres. We have one in Mutoko at Makaha, the other two are being established in Penalonga and Mazowe with an expectation that they will be fully functional before the end of the first quarter.”
He said gold saves centres serve as a one-stop centre where the government provides the miners with mining equipment, and processes minerals and Fidelity Gold is on-site to buy minerals processed. Zimbabwe has eight mining provinces excluding Harare and Bulawayo.
Equipment provided at the gold saves centre includes a ball mill, crushers, and grinders among others that the miners hire for a nominal fee.
Soda said the ongoing SHE campaigns include training in safety in mining, environment sustainability, and drug and alcohol abuse after it became apparent that most artisanal miners are into alcohol and drugs.
“We want them to formalise their (illegal artisanal and small-scale mining) operations. Advantages are for them to access the loan because we can’t give somebody a loan when we do not know where he operates from,” he said.
He said small-scale miners should register their mining titles, obtain mining licences and EMA certifications to ensure they do not encroach into prohibited areas, and maintain mining standards.
Soda said the SHE campaigns include legal compliance such as title acquisition, appointment of competent persons like the mining manager, payment of statutory fees and their purposes, explosive permits and licenses as provided in Statutory Instrument 109 OF 1990/ Statutory Instrument 72 of 1989 and Mines and Minerals Act.