Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
WORK on the Government’s long-awaited Electronic Mining Cadastre System is on course, with the platform expected to be fully operational by December this year, a development set to transform the administration of mining rights in Zimbabwe.
The digital system is expected to end long-standing boundary disputes, improve transparency in the allocation of mining titles and attract responsible investment into the sector.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is showcasing the system to mining executives at the ongoing Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe Annual Conference in Victoria Falls as part of final preparations ahead of the nationwide rollout.
The project, first proposed in 2014, has experienced several delays due to technical and data verification challenges.
However, after years of development, the pilot phase went online in 2025, initially focusing on Manicaland Province.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference yesterday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Thomas Utete Wushe, said the project had now reached an advanced stage.
“We have come here to demonstrate that Government is serious about moving to the next level as far as the e-cadastral system is concerned,” he said.
“We have brought it to the mining executives and the mining community to say come and see where we are now, given the long journey we have taken in designing and implementing this very critical system that will help us manage mining titles in Zimbabwe and bring a final end to conflicts and disputes over boundaries and titles.”
Dr Wushe said Government was optimistic that the system would be fully operational by the end of the year.
“So we are thinking that by the end of this year the system will be up and running,” he said.
Dr Wushe said key technical challenges that had previously slowed implementation had now been addressed.
“We have trained surveyors, we have trained data capturers and we have worked closely with the Chamber of Mines to address issues that were seen as stumbling blocks.
“We have literally cleared all the hurdles that were causing this non-delivery of the e-cadastral system to the mining community of Zimbabwe,” he said.
During the three-day conference, delegates are being given an opportunity to test the system and familiarise themselves with its features.
“Mining executives will be able to see where their titles are because data for most large companies is already up and running. About 60 percent of the mining titles can now be viewed on the system and users can see how to apply,” Dr Wushe said.
The next phase of the project will focus on integrating the artisanal and small-scale mining sector into the digital platform.
Mining Cadastre registrar Ms Portia Mungate said the system had been designed to be transparent and easy to use.
“Here we are exhibiting our mining cadastral project. We have gone a long way into the implementation and now we are almost ready,” she said.
“This is the public portal where clients will submit applications during registration. We also have a back-office system where the Ministry of Mines processes and approves applications for mining titles.”
Ms Mungate said the ministry was confident the project would be launched before the end of the year.
“We hope that by the end of this year we will be done and we are going to launch the system by December,” she said.
The new computer-based mining titles system is expected to replace the largely paper-based registry that has long been associated with inefficiencies, overlapping claims and disputes.
By integrating survey-grade geographic coordinates, the platform will provide greater security of tenure, improve compliance with national and international survey standards and create a transparent and predictable investment environment.
The digitisation process is also expected to support the formalisation of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector while improving the ease of doing business through faster processing of licences and renewals.
Government believes the reforms will position the mining sector as a stronger driver of economic growth and enhance Zimbabwe’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
