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Esinathy Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
SMALL scale miners have said that they have faith that the new Government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa will provide more resources to enable them to contribute towards rebuilding the economy.

The artisanal miners said they are grateful for Government’s efforts in helping them to be fully recognised as a major contributor to the nation’s gold output.

Small scale mining in Zimbabwe has become an area of focus for Government as annual gold deliveries from this sub sector to Fidelity Printers and Refiners has been increasing from a mere 959kg in 2016 to a staggering 13 176kg in 2017.

Government has embarked on launching service centres in various mining districts, with the first one having been launched in Bubi.

Speaking at the Hazardous Chemicals (HazChem) training programme in Gwanda last week, Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation Chairperson, Mr Dosman Mangisi, said the service centres are a sign of Government’s commitment to empowering small scale miners through people-oriented policies.

“We greatly appreciate the strides taken by the Government of President Mnangagwa for putting the needs of artisanal miners at the heart and loosening up some of the stringent policies that were muzzling the operation of small-scale miners,” he said.

“We are looking forward to the other five centres promised by our Government and we hope that the money that was promised will be at our disposal without any hustle such as high interest rates.”

Mr Mangisi said Government has fast tracked their recognition of small and medium scale mining in the Minerals and Mining Act and mining regulations to accommodate them in the ministry.

He said Government has also enabled small-scale miners to partner with other stakeholders such as the Environmental Management Agency and the ZRP mineral and border control unit.

Mr Mangisi said the small scale mining sector, if given sufficient support, can play a pivotal role in improving the livelihoods of mining communities and generate revenue for the country.

Recently, VP Chiwenga said the Government is aware of the important role played by small scale miners in terms of gold production hence the establishment of the $100 million Mining Industry Loan Fund (MILF) to support small to medium scale miners with equipment and plant.

The equipment is aimed at building the capacity of small-scale gold miners to increase gold output from the sector, which contributed 53 percent of the country’s output last year.

VP Chiwenga said the capacitation of artisanal miners will help in changing their livelihoods and increasing productivity in the gold sector.

This comes as the Reserve Bank is planning to set aside $75 million to buy gold from small scale miners to ensure all bullion is sold in Zimbabwe.

Gold is Zimbabwe’s single biggest mineral foreign currency earner while the mining sector generates over half of the country’s export earnings. — @esinathy_essira