Lines of credit for miners to be unveiled

Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE government will soon unveil lines of credit to support the small-scale gold sector as it moves towards increasing bullion production in the country. Mines and Minerals Development Minister Cde Walter Chidhakwa on Wednesday said his ministry was in the process of looking at making adjustments to the Mines and Minerals Act for the benefit of small-scale miners.

“We will shortly be announcing lines of credit to support the small-scale gold sector. My ministry is working with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and the Attorney General’s office in looking at clauses that need adjustments and amendments. Our main objective is to support gold panners and define the using it or losing it policy,” said Cde Chidhakwa.

“It is already a policy to formalise gold panners and provide resources and equipment for them. We can call gold panners what we want but if they are making a contribution to Fidelity they are contributing to the economic development of the country.”

Minister Chidhakwa, who visited How Mine, Vumbachikwe and Blanket Mines in Matabeleland South, said the government needed to find ways of improving the way gold panners mine and educate them on protecting the environment.

“We have to find ways of improving the way they mine and manage the environment. This will graduate them to better and professional miners and also improve gold production in the country. Most people are relying on mining and we cannot run away from that,” he said.

Cde Chidhakwa said the use it or lose it policy would promote full utilisation of resources in the country.
“Usage must really reflect desire to create wealth and define what the life of a mine is. It is immoral for communities to suffer when we are sitting on reserves. We must grow them for the benefit of our communities,” Minister Chidhakwa said.

“Good, sustainable use of resources will accrue development but this can only happen if gold panners are licensed and allowed to do their work without being harassed.”
He said the formalisation of gold panners would help the ministry to ensure that they did not die in mine shafts.