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YOUTHS clad in ragged clothes coated with red soil sludge gather outside a tunnel of an old gold tributary sweating from the blazing mid-morning sun, deep in the jungle along Muzvezve River.
All with head torches are armed with simple extracting tools and sacks strapped on their backs, waiting for a signal to enter the shaft.
A few metres away, hawkers of all sorts and manner line up their products including soft drinks, bread, fruits and other wares on sale, while others have set up market stalls at a nearby compound.
Even sex workers from all walks of life flock to the gold shaft that has become a life-changing point – to “mine the miners” for a living too.
And residents at compounds spread around the area are making brisk business from the ladies renting space to accommodate their clients.
Certainly, Pringle Mine, popularly known as Pingo Mine, about 20km South East of Kadoma, is “open for business” after Chief Ngezi, born Peter Pasipamire, embarked on a massive project to empower youths through artisanal gold mining at his tributary.
His magnanimity has attracted countless young men from the most far-flung corners of the country who are streaming to the shaft for artisanal mining.
The traditional leader says his top priority is empowering the youths and eradicate poverty in his area of jurisdiction and spread to other areas the Zunde raMambo concept, which he says should not be confined to grain reserves alone.
“As a traditional leader, I have a great responsibility to look after my people and lead by example. Poverty is a dangerous handgun that can destroy young families and need to be arrested for the society to remain intact,” said Chief Ngezi clasping a pint of beer in his hand.
“I thought it was wise for me to extend Zunde raMambo to cover gold mining in view of recurring droughts.”
For Chief Ngezi, it is also the spirit of devolution that has prompted him to embrace his fellows as he quickly pointed out that devolution was necessary for promoting locally driven development, promoting national integration and peace.
“Given that devolution is about access to resources, I felt it important to embrace other leaders in the province in terms of sharing what we have which they do not have in their area of jurisdiction.”
The thrust, he said, is to share the resources in his area with other chiefs in Mashonaland West Province and compliment Government policy on devolution.
“That way we can develop as a province and as a nation,” he says.
This has seen chiefs from Kariba, Hurungwe, Sanyati, Makonde, Zvimba, among others and their people benefiting from the mine.
“The idea is to work with other chiefs, sharing resources we have here because some areas in the province do not have what we have in our areas. We have to show them love because we are one people.”
Chief Ngezi also says he is happy with his projects which has seen people in his community managing to send children to school and be able to pay fees as well as able to fend for their families.
“Young people need employment to keep away from immoral activities due to poverty and this is what we are trying to do and we seem to have struck the right chord,” he said.
Chief Neuso (Titos Mudzimiri) said Chief Ngezi’s liberality and big heart is beyond compare.
“What Chief Ngezi is doing is incredible great and I wonder how many of us can do this to our people and beyond?
“We are here because of him. He is giving life to community and the province at large,” said Chief Neuso.
On a daily basis, at least a combined 340 artisanal miners are allowed to enter the shaft to extract gold at a time.
The disabled and the elderly are also welcome at the mine where they are getting gold ore for processing without sweating for it underground.
Nicholas Makuwe and Lot Gumbo, both 52, are among the elderly people at the mine. They said when they arrived at the mine a few months ago, they were surprised by the warm reception they received from Chief Ngezi.
“He told us that we were fathers to the youthful artisanal miners and we should not compete with them. He said they have a duty to work for us, as their fathers in terms of our culture,” said Makuwe, who travelled from Zhombe in search of the precious mineral.
“We are given part of the ore mined here which we will then take for processing. We are enjoying the VIP status here, in terms of everything including food and accommodation.”
Physically-challenged Shepherd Chapoto and a resident at Hopley in Harare arrived at Pingo a few weeks ago after hearing of the Chief Ngezi’s philanthropic responsibilities.
“I was vending in Harare to fend for my family of four and things were not working. Ever since I came here am looking forward to a happy Christmas come December when I go home,” he said.
“The Chief said it would not proper to allow me in the shaft saying the society is built on compassionate for others, especially if you are a leader of the people. Am living on the ore that is being mined by the able bodied men here because of the Chief who understood my plight, that I cannot do hard work.”
The mine has employed a professional mine engineer and blasters to ensure safety and avoid fatalities and injuries.
“While we have done well in putting in place safety measures and compliance with mining regulations, our aim is to mechanise the operations so that we improve on gold output,” said managing director, Engineer Mike Mumba.
“Apart from that our artisanal miners require a lot of mind set training on the dangers of working underground and perfection of certain mining skills.”
Though artisanal mining is a poverty-induced activity, it plays a significant economic character in the country as some people rely on it for their livelihoods.
However, lack of proper regulatory and policy framework can retard the sector’s formalisation, resulting improvements in the livelihoods of artisanal miners and their reliant communities difficult to achieve.
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