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Eve Gadzikwa

Dosman Mangisi Mining Correspondent
THE Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) says the government should set up minimum quality standards in the mining sector in terms of equipment to rescue miners from growing overheads. SAZ director general, Eve Gadzikwa, said a deliberate policy was needed to standardise extraction, milling and processing equipment to ensure companies derive value for their investment.Speaking during a familiarisation tour of mining equipment at ABJ Engineering, an engineering and foundry company in Bulawayo recently, Gadzikwa said small scale miners in particular, were being ripped off by millers and suppliers who put in place sub standard plants and cheap fragile equipment that does not last.

“As a national body of standards we think it’s high time the government deliberately sets standards in the mining sector in terms of mining equipment. A policy must be set to protect miners and suppliers of mining equipment. Local manufacturers of mining equipment must be given a reprieve in the mining sector,” said Gadzikwa. SAZ is the national standards body of Zimbabwe with a mandate to facilitate development and use of quality products to enhance domestic competitiveness while safeguarding the welfare of consumers.

It is a member of the International Standards Organisation (ISO).“Standards must be met in equipment manufacturing and supply and service provision to miners. Miners can’t grow and develop if there are no standards to protect and help them. They will spend the rest of their lives working for other people and fail to grow. Small scale miners are the biggest victims in terms of quality standards,” added Gadzikwa.

“We seriously need to look into these challenges and engage the government to make sure those in mining business comply and reduce overheads on small scale miners.” Zimbabwe Mining Federation (ZM) technical advisor, Marufu Sithole, implored SAZ to seriously engage relevant authorities and come up with standard measures to weed out cheap machinery and spares. He said miners were no longer enjoying the value of their work due to rising overheads.

Sithole said some gold millers were using sub standard equipment resulting in miners running losses. “Small scale gold miners are getting nothing due to low volumes of ore they mine because everything is chewed by overheads accrued in the mining process. SAZ should work with stakeholders in mining engineering and come up with quality standards in the milling and processing of gold,” he said.

“The small scale miner will never grow if such practices, which are not standardised, are in place. Also manufacturers and suppliers of stamp mills accessories need to be regulated because some stamp mill shoes last only one month after use instead of three months after you buy them for $100.” ABJ engineering director, Mike Querl, said business had gone down sharply due to imports of cheap mining equipment.

“Our production capacity has gone down to 30 percent due to the penetration of cheap mining products. Miners are bringing the mining equipment to us to repair but the equipment has no spares and can’t be repaired,” he said.“Bringing standards to the mining sector will see cheap mining equipment suppliers shipping off. The government must assist in coming up with measures to promote quality standards across the mining sector. If high standards are applied, this will help in the reduction of mining overheads to miners.”