adminOliver Kazunga Business Reporter
INTERNATIONAL development partners have expressed keen interest to engage artisanal and small-scale miners in their mining operations on the back of efforts by Government to formalise activities in the sector. The World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) have indicated their willingness to engage the Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Council (Zasmc), a body that represents an estimated 500 000 artisanal and small-scale miners in the country popularly known as otsheketsha/makorokoza.
DFID Zimbabwe economic advisor Mr Phil Johnston has written to Zasmc president Mr Wellington Takavarasha expressing their willingness to engage the mining representative body.
“I lead the UK Department for International Development’s work on the mining sector in Zimbabwe. Until now DFID has not formally engaged in mining in Zimbabwe; however we are currently undertaking a process of engaging with key stakeholders to assess if we can be usefully engaged in this area.
“I am aware that there are approximately 500 000 artisanal miners in Zimbabwe and that recent pronouncements have been made regarding undertaking efforts to formalise the activities of these miners.
“I would like to meet with you to discuss this and other issues. In particular it would be useful to know what ZASMC plans to achieve over the next five years and what type of support you would like to help you achieve your aims,” reads part of the e-mail sent to Mr Takavarasha by Mr Johnston.
Mr Takavarasha also revealed to this paper that over the weekend, the association together with officials from the World Bank toured mining sites operated by artisanal and small-scale miners in Mashonaland Central and East provinces.
“We had a tour to artisanal and small scale mining sites on Saturday with World Bank officials headed by their mining specialist Mr Martin Lokanc. The mining areas visited were Mazowe, Mt Darwin and Goromonzi. The purpose of the visit was to see how best they can assist the artisanal and small-scale miners to mine economically and viably.
“ZASMC has been identified as the organisation spearheading the recognition and realisation of the significance of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector. In line to visit the sites again is DFID,” he said.
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Sidumisile Mabena