Online Reporter
Gibson Mhaka, [email protected]
OFFICIALS from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) and planetGOLD Zimbabwe are on Tuesday conducting a technical assessment visit to small-scale gold mines in Filabusi, Matabeleland South province, as part of efforts to strengthen responsible and sustainable mining practices.
The visit will include Maholokohlo Mine, where the delegation is expected to engage artisanal and small-scale gold miners to better understand current gold processing methods, identify operational challenges and explore opportunities for improving efficiency, environmental management and gold recovery.
The assessment comes amid growing efforts by Government and stakeholders to support the formalisation and sustainability of the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector, which plays a significant role in Zimbabwe’s gold production and rural livelihoods.
Organisers said the visit is intended to gather first-hand information on mining and processing practices currently being employed by miners, including the use of mercury in gold extraction, and to identify practical interventions that can help improve productivity while minimising environmental and health risks.
“The purpose of this visit is to understand how miners are currently processing gold, identify challenges and areas for improvement,” said the organisers.
The findings from the assessment are expected to inform future training programmes and technical support initiatives targeting small-scale miners.
According to organisers, the exercise is not an inspection or enforcement operation but rather a collaborative engagement aimed at understanding challenges facing miners and identifying solutions that can improve mining operations.
“This tour is designed to highlight positive pathways for change and not to critique current practices. Our focus is on collaborative dialogue and identifying opportunities for improvement through Government and planetGOLD support.”
The technical team is expected to discuss safer and more efficient gold recovery methods, environmentally responsible mining practices and opportunities for strengthening community development through the mining sector.
“We want to explore practical solutions for safer, more efficient and environmentally responsible gold extraction, while demonstrating how artisanal and small-scale gold mining can become a driver of community development, including improved health, livelihoods and local economic growth,” the organisers said.
Stakeholders have increasingly raised concerns over the continued use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, citing its potential impact on human health and the environment if not properly managed.
The visit forms part of broader efforts being undertaken under the planetGOLD Zimbabwe project to promote responsible gold mining and support the adoption of safer technologies and practices within the sector.
The assessment follows a recent visit to Waterwitch Mine in Bubi, Matabeleland North province and a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Bulawayo where players in Zimbabwe’s mining sector met to discuss the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale gold mining and ways of strengthening collaboration between small-scale miners and large-scale mining companies.
The workshop brought together representatives from large-scale mining companies, artisanal and small-scale mining operators, Government ministries and development partners to co-design a pilot collaboration framework aimed at improving productivity, environmental stewardship and community development.
Organisers said lessons from both the workshop and the Filabusi assessment visit would contribute towards developing practical strategies to support a more sustainable, productive and environmentally responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Zimbabwe.
Bongani Ndlovu