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Robin Muchetu, Senior Writer

SMALL-scale miners from across the country are going to benefit from a US$10 million fund that is going to be availed by the Government to enable them to formalise and upscale their operations, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Addressing members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando said the fund was going to be disbursed in form of a loan facility.

“The capacitation of small-scale miners has been two-fold, through the mining industry loan fund and secondly through the disbursements from Fidelity Printers. The capacitation is predominantly for gold but not exclusively, for Fidelity it is all for gold but for the mining industry loaning fund it is for gold and other minerals.

“There is a US$10 million fund that is being arranged through the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and it is exclusively for non-gold milliners and mostly earmarked for chrome and gemstones,” he said.

Minister Chitando said the fund will be distributed through a banking institution to ensure all miners in need of funding will have access and boost their mining operations.

The Ministry of Mines has so far established two of the seven targeted Gold Service Centres for the year 2024 and has identified several private investor-led Gold Service Centres to be established to provide a one-stop shop that offers technical services to miners, access to milling services as well as access to markets for produced gold by small-scale miners to Fidelity Refineries.

The Zimbabwe School of Mines is also offering mining courses that are tailor-made for artisanal small-scale miners and aimed at ensuring that they are knowledgeable about mining processes.

Turning to new mines and the reopening of closed ones, Minister Chitando said various plans were in place to establish industrial activities.

“For the new mines that are being developed, the emphasis is on coming up with various upward and downward integrated industrial activities. For instance, if you go to Zimplats you will realise they have established an industrial park in conjunction with Old Mutual.

They now have several industries that are manufacturing products for use at Zimplats. Several other new entities like Manhize, are coming up with industrial areas where they will produce steel and there is a provision that has been incorporated in the masterplan by the Ministry of Local Government for the establishment of an industrial town for the processing of some of that steel,” he said.

He however, said there was a challenge with other mines where mining activities are no longer taking place.
Some of the previous towns centred on mining notably Mhangura and Kamativi are however, now witnessing a rebirth as there is resuscitation of mining activities.

“Kamativi is now up and running and production is increasing, Mhangura is covered under what is called the Greater Chinhoyi Co-operative Development Programme which is looking at not only the resuscitation of production in some of the closed areas but production taking place in the area,” he added.

He also urged mining companies to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes saying they were not supposed to hide behind the finger of not making profits.

“Resources mined are supposed to benefit the locals in that area that mine operates from hence the one percent tax which is now there over and above that there are also charges to be levied by Rural District Councils for some of the developments in terms of schooling, roads, and clinics.

“We need to engage the Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Mines irrespective of the profit made by the mining companies, there is a charge of the revenue,” said Minister Chitando.

Speaking at the same occasion, speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda said the committee had an enormous responsibility of giving oversight on one of the most critical sectors of the national economy.

“Accordingly, the primary objective of this workshop is to capacitate your committee collectively and individually so that you can effectively discharge your tripartite constitutional mandate of law-making, oversight, and representation.

Your committee is enjoined to collaborate with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in ensuring that innovative mining strategies are employed to upscale the mining productivity which should enable Zimbabwe to attain greater heights of economic prosperity,” said Adv Mudenda.

Adv Mudenda said on the 26th April 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, appointed a 38-member panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, in which Zimbabwe is a participant.

He said the creation of the panel presents an opportunity for developing countries such as Zimbabwe to boost revenues, create jobs and diversify their economies through partnerships with manufacturers of electric motor vehicles and storage batteries.

“Your committee should, therefore, ensure that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development comes up with sound policies and legislation that attract investment in the exploitation of critical energy minerals.

In this regard, it urgently behoves your committee to ensure that the long-awaited Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill is tabled before Parliament no sooner than later,” he said. Adv Mudenda also reiterated the need for CSR activities to be prioritised in mining areas. — @NyembeziMu